Heroes  of  the  Nations 

A  Scries  of  Biographical  Studies 
presenting  the  lives  and  work 
of  certain  representative  his 
torical  characters,  about  whom 
have  gathered  the  traditions 
of  the  nations  to  which  they 
belong,  and  who  have,  in  the 
majority  of  instances,  been 
accepted  as  types  of  the  sev 
eral  national  ideals. 

FOR    FULL   LIST    SEE    END    OF   THIS   VOLUME 


tberoes  of  tbe  IRatfons 


EDITED    BY 

Bbbott,  flfc.B. 

FKLLOW  OF  BALLIOL  COLLEGE,  OXFORD 


FACTA    DUCI8    VIVENT    OPERO8AQUE 
GLORIA    RERUM. — OVID,    IN    LIVIAM,    *65. 
THE   HERO'S    DEEDS     AND     HARD-WON 
FAME    SHALL    LIVE. 


COLUMBUS 


Frontispiece.  (See  fag*  xv.) 

THE   AUTHENTIC   PORTRAIT   OF   CHRISTOPHER   COLUMBUS. 


COLUMBUS 

HIS  LIFE  AND  VOYAGES 


BY 


WASHINGTON  IRVING 


(CONDENSED  BY  THE  AUTHOR  FROM  HIS  LARGER  WORK) 


G.  P.   PUTNAM'S   SONS 

NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 

Gbe   ftnfckerbocker 

1914 


COPYRIGHT,    1893 
BY 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 


INTRODUCTION. 

WHETHER,  in  old  times,  beyond  the  reach  of  history 
or  tradition,  and  at  some  remote  period  when,  as  some 
imagine,  the  arts  may  have  flourished  to  a  degree 
unknown  to  those  whom  we  term  the  ancients,  there 
existed  an  intercourse  between  the  opposite  shores  of 
the  Atlantic  ;  whether  the  Egyptian  legend  narrated  by 
Plato,  respecting  the  island  of  Atlantis,  was  indeed  no 
fable,  but  the  tradition  of  some  country,  engulfed  by  one 
of  those  mighty  convulsions  of  our  globe  which  have  left 
the  traces  of  the  ocean  on  the  summits  of  lofty  moun 
tains,  must  ever  remain  matters  of  vague  and  visionary 
speculation.  As  far  as  authenticated  history  extends, 
nothing  was  known  of  terra-firma,  and  the  islands  of  the 
western  hemisphere,  until  their  discovery  towards  the 
close  of  the  fifteenth  century.  A  wandering  bark  may 
occasionally  have  lost  sight  of  the  landmarks  of  the  old 
continents,  and  been  driven  by  tempests  across  the  wil 
derness  of  waters,  long  before  the  invention  of  the  com 
pass,  but  none  ever  returned  to  reveal  the  secrets  of  the 
ocean ;  and  though,-  from  time  to  time,  some  document 
has  floated  to  the  old  world,  giving  to  its  wondering 
inhabitants  indications  of  land  far  beyond  their  watery 
horizon,  yet  no  one  ventured  to  spread  a  sail,  and  seek 
that  land,  enveloped  in  mystery  and  peril.  Or,  if  the 
legends  of  the  Scandinavian  voyagers  be  correct,  and 
their  mysterious  Vinland  were  the  coast  of  Labrador 


f\ 


IV  INTRODUCTION. 

or  the  shore  of  Newfoundland,  they  had  but  trancient 
glimpses  of  the  New  World,  leading  to  no  permanent 
knowledge,  and  in  a  little  time  lost  again  to  mankind. 
Certain  it  is,  that  at  the  beginning  of  the  fifteenth  eentury, 
when  the  most  intelligent  minds  were  seeking  in  every 
direction  for  the  scattered  lights  of  geographical  knowl 
edge,  a  profound  ignorance  prevailed  among  the  learned 
•as  to  the  western  regions  of  the  Atlantic;  its  vast  waters 
were  regarded  with  awe  and  wonder,  seeming  to  bound 
the  world  as  with  a  chaos,  into  which  conjecture  could 
not  penetrate,  and  enterprise  feared  to  adventure.  \Ve 
need  no  greater  proof  of  this  than  the  description  given 
of  the  Atlantic  by  Xerif  al  Edrisi,  surnamed  the  Nubian, 
an  eminent  Arabian  writer,  whose  countrymen  possessed 
all  that  was  known  of  geography  in  the  middle  ages. 

u  The  ocean,"  he  observes,  "  encircles  the  ultimate 
bounds  of  the  inhabited  earth,  and  all  beyond  it  is 
unknown.  No  one  has  been  able  to  verify  anything 
concerning  it,  on  account  of  its  difficult  and  perilous 
navigation,  its  great  obscurity,  its  profound  depth,  and 
frequent  tempests;  through  fear  of  its  mighty  fishes  and 
its  haughty  winds  ;  yet  there  are  many  islands  in  it,  some 
of  which  are  peopled,  and  others  uninhabited.  There  is 
no  mariner  who  dares  to  enter  into  its  deep  waters  ;  or, 
if  any  have  done  so,  they  have  merely  kept  along  its 
coasts,  fearful  of  departing  from  them.  The  waves  of 
this  ocean,  although  they  roll  as  high  as  mountains,  yet 
maintain  themselves  without  breaking  ;  for  if  they  broke, 
it  would  be  impossible  for  a  ship  to  plow  them." 

It  is  the  object  of  the  following  work  to  relate  the 
deeds  and  fortunes  of  the  mariner  who  first  had  the  judg 
ment  to  divine,  and  the  intrepidity  to  brave,  the  mysteries 
of  this  perilous  dee])  ;  and  who,  by  his  hardy  genius,  his 
inflexible  constancy,  and  his  heroic  courage,  brought 


NOTE.  V 

the  ends  of  the  earth  into  communication  with  each 
other.  The  narrative  of  his  troubled  life  is  the  link 
which  connects  the  history  of  the  old  world  with  that 
of  the  new. 


NOTE. 

SINCE  the  first  publication  of  this  work,  researches 
made  concerning  the  early  voyages  of  the  "  Northmen" 
have  established  the  fact,  to  the  conviction  of  most 
minds,  that  "  Vinland,"  the  country  accidentally  discov 
ered  by  those  wide-wandering  navigators,  about  the 
year  1000,  was  really  a  part  of  the  continent  of  North 
America. 

This  fact,  however,  does  not  lessen  the  merit  of  the 
great  enterprise  and  achievement  of  Columbus.  Nothing 
grew  out  of  this  discovery  of  Vinland,  nor  does  any  idea 
appear  to  have  been  entertained  of  the  extent  or  impor 
tance  of  the  region  thus  casually  brought  to  light.  Two 
or  three  voyages  were  made  to  it,  between  the  years 
1000  and  1021,  after  which  it  ceased  to  be  an  object  of 
further  quest,  and  apparently  faded  from  thought  as  if  it 
had  never  been.  At  the  time  when  Columbus  visited 
Thule,  upwards  of  three  centuries  and  a  half  had  elapsed 
since  the  last  voyage  to  Vinland  of  which  we  have  any 
record ;  and  two  centuries  and  a  half  since  the  sagas 
which  mention  the  country  had  been  written.  We  see 
no  reason  to  believe  that  he  heard  anything  of  these  dis^ 
coveries  or  saw  the  sagas  in  question.  Had  he  done  so, 
he  would  doubtless  have  cited  them  among  the  various 
reports  of  lands  seen  by  mariners  in  the  west,  with  which 
he  sought  to  fortify  his  theory  and  win  patronage  to  his 


enterprise  during  years  of  weary  and  almost  hopeless 
solicitation.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  at  the  time 
of  his  visiting  Thulc  the  tradition  concerning  Vinland 
had  long  been  forgotten,  and  the  sagas  had  been  con 
signed  to  the  dust  of  libraries  and  archives,  thence  to  be 
drawn  forth  by  antiquarian  research  in  after  ages,  when 
his  own  discoveries  should  have  cast  back  a  light  to 
illuminate  their  obscurity. 


ARMS   OF   COLUMBUS. 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION iii 

NOTE  TO  THIS  EDITION v 

I.   Birth,  Parentage,  Education,  and  Early  Life  of  Columbus I 

II.   Progress  of  Discovery  under  Prince  Henry  of  Portugal.— Resi 
dence  of    Columbus   in   Lisbon. — Ideas  concerning  Islands  in 

the  Ocean 7 

III.   Grounds  on  which  Columbus  founded  his  Belief  of  the  Existence 

of  Undiscovered  Lands  in  the  West 13 

IV.   Events  in  Portugal  relative  to  Discovery. — Propositions  of  Co 
lumbus  to  the  Portuguese  Court 19 

V.   First  Arrival  of  Columbus  in  Spain. — Character  of  the  Spanish 

Sovereigns 25 

VI.   Propositions  of  Columbus  to  the  Court  of  Castile 29 

VII.  Columbus  before  the  Council  at  Salamanca 33 

VIII.  Columbus  seeks  Patronage  amongst  the  Spanish  Grandees. — Re 
turns  to  the  Convent  of  La  Rabida. — Resumes  his  Negotia 
tions  with  the  Sovereigns  (1491) 41 

IX.   Arrangement  with  the  Spanish  Sovereigns. — Preparations  for  the 

Expedition  at  the  Port  of  Palos  (1492) 48 

X.  Events  of  the  First  Voyage.— Discovery  ol  Land  (1492) 55 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XI.   First  Landing  of  Columbus  in  the   New   World. — Cruise 
among  the  Bahama    Islands. — Discovery  of   Cuba    and 

Hispaniola  (1492) 71 

XII.  Coasting   of    Hispaniola. — Shipwreck,  and   other   Occur 
rences  at  the  Island  (1492) 83 

XIII.  Return   Voyage. — Violent    Storms. — Arrival    in    Portugal 

(1493) ••••     99 

XIV.  Visit   of  Columbus  to  the  Court  of  Portugal. — Arrival  at 

Palos  (1493) i°7 

XV.   Reception  of  Columbus  by  the  Spanish  Sovereigns  at  Bar 
celona  (1493) H3 

XVI.   Papal  Bull  of  Partition. — Preparations  for  a  Second  Voy 
age  of  Discovery  (1493) 120 

XVII.   Departure   of    Columbus    on  his  Second  Voyage  of    Dis 
covery. — Arrival  at  Hispaniola  (1493) 126 

XVIII.   Fate  of  the  Fortress  of  La  Navidad. — Transactions  at  the 

Harbor  (1493) 134 

XIX.   Founding  of  the  City  of  Isabella. — Discontents  of  the  Peo 
ple  (1493) 141 

XX.    Expedition  of   Columbus   into   the  Interior    of  Hispaniola 

(1494)---  J48 

XXI.   Customs  and  Characteristics  of  the  Natives 152 

XXII.   Sickness  and  Discontent   at  the  Settlement  of  Isabella. — 

Preparations  of  Columbus  for  a  Voyage  to  Cuba  (1494).  .  161 
XXIII.   Cruise   of  Columbus   along   the   Southern   Coast    of   Cuba 

(1494) l65 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PACK 

XXIV.   Return  Voyage  (1494) 172 

XXV.   Events  in  the  Island  of  Hispaniola. — Insurrections  of  the 

Natives. — Expedition  of  Ojeda  against  Caonabo  (1494)   178 

XXVI.   Battle  of  the  Vega. — Imposition  of  Tribute  (1494) 190 

XXVII.   Arrival  of  the  Commissioner  Aguado. — Discovery  of  the 

Gold  Mines  of  Hayna  (1495) 198 

XXVIII.   Return  of  Columbus  to  Spain. — Preparations  for  a  Third 

Voyage  (1496) 205 

XXIX.  Discovery  of  Trinidad,  and  the  Coast  of  Paria. — Arrival  at 

San  Domingo  (1498) 2l6 

XXX.  Administration  of  the  Adelantado 224 

XXXI.   Rebellion  of  Roldan  (1498) 238 

XXXII.  Visit  of  Ojeda  to  the  West  End  of  the  Island. — Conspiracy 

of  Moxica.  —  His  Execution  (1499)   250 

XXXIII.  Intrigues  against  Columbus  in  the  Spanish  Court. — Ap 
pointment  of  Bobadilla  as  Commissioner. — His  Arrival 

at  San  Domingo  (1500).. 256 

XXXIV.  Columbus  arrested  and  sent  to  Spain  in  Chains  (1500).. .    .   262 
XXXV.  Arrival  of  Columbus  in  Spain. — His  Interview  with  the 
Sovereigns. — Appointment   of  Ovando   to  the    Govern 
ment  of  Hispaniola  (1500) 268 

XXXVI.  Proposition  of  Columbus  for  a  Crusade. — His  Preparations 

for  a  Fourth  Voyage  (1500,  1501) 275 

XXXVII.  Columbus  sails  on  His  Fourth  Voyage. — Events  at-  the 
Island  of  Hispaniola. — His  Search  after  an  Imaginary 
Strait  (1502). 279 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXXVIII.   Return  to  the  Coast  of  Veragua.— Contests  with  th*>  N* 

lives  (i 502) 289 

XXXIX.  Disasters  of  the  Settlement  (1503) 298 

XL.  Voyage  to  Jamaica. — Transactions  at  that  Island  (1503). . .    305 
XLI.   Mutiny  of    Porras. — Eclipse  of  the  Moon. — Stratagem  of 

Columbus  to  procure  Supplies  from  the  Indians  (1503).. .  .   311 
XLI  I.   Arrival  of  Diego  Je  Escobar  at  the  Harbor.— Battle  with 

the  Rebels  (1504) 318 

XLI II.  Voyage  of  Diego   Mendez  to  Hispaniola. — Deliverance  of 

Columbus  from  the  Island  of  Jamaica  (1504) 323 

XLIV.  Affairs  at   Hispaniola  during  the  Administration  of  Ovan- 

do. — Return  of  Columbus  to  Spain  (1504) 328 

• 

XLV.  Fruitless  Application  of  Columbus  to  be  reinstated  in  his 

Government.  —  His  last  Illness  and  Death  (1504) 336 

XLVI.  Observations  on  the  Character  of  Columbus 348 

A  visit  to  Palos 355 

Appendix. — Obsequies  of  Columbus 376 

Glojsary 379 


i 


; 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

The  Authentic  Portrait  of  Christopher  Columbus Frontispiece. 

Arms  of  Columbus vi 

Mediterranean  Galley  in  the  time  of  Columbus.     Based  on  a  design  in 

Lane-Poole's  ' '  Barbary  Corsairs. " 3 

Part  of  a  terrestrial  globe  made  at  Nuremberg  in  the  year  1492,  by 

Martin  Behem 15 

Ferdinand,  Kirlg  of  Spain.     Redrawn  from  an  old  print. .    27 

Isabella,  Queen  of  Spain.     Redrawn  from  an  old  print 43 

The   Convent  of    La   Rabida.     Redrawn   from    Manning's    "  Spanish 

Pictures." 51 

Ships  of  Columbus 53 

Columbus  taking   leave  of  Ferdinand  and   Isabella.     From   De   Bry's 

"Voyages." •  54 

• 

Palos.      Redrawn  from  an  old  print 56 

Columbus  discovering  the  variation  of  the  compass.  From  De  Lorgue's 

(i  Columbus." 59 

Columbus  on  the  deck  of  his  ship,  with  an  astrolabe  in  his  hand. 

From  De  Bry's  ' '  Voyages. " 63 

A  Caravel  under  sail.     From  Columbus's  first  letter 65 

The  ship  of  Columbus,  the  "  Ccean  Wave."  From  Columbus's  first 

letter 69 


xii  ILL  US  TRA  TIONS. 

PACK 

Native  Huts,  Hamacs,  etc.  Redrawn  from  Gottfriedt's  "  Newe  Welt."  73 

Galley  coasting  the  Island  of  Hispaniola 84 

Discovery  of  Hispaniola.  From  Herrera's  "  History  of  the  West 

Indies." 86 

Natives  carrying  a  Cacique.  Redrawn  from  Herrera's  "  History  of 

the  West  Indies." 88 

Natives  dancing.  Redrawn  from  Gottfried t's  "  Newe  Welt." 93 

A  manner  of  fishing.  Redrawn  from  Gottfriedt's  "  Newe  Welt." 95 

Nearing  land  on  return  voyage.  From  an  old  print 103 

Reception    of  Columbus   at    Barcelona.     Return   from    first   voyage. 

From  an  old  print 115 

Columbus  and  the  egg.     From  De  Bry's  "Voyages." Il8 

Cacique    and   Warriors.      Fac-simile    from    Inga's   "  West    Indische 

Spieghel." 129 

The  Island  of  Hispaniola.     Redrawn  from  Wytfliet's  "  West  Indies.".  132 

Finding  ruins  of  La  Navidad.     Based  on  old  prints 135 

Arquebusier.     From  De  Bry's  "Voyages." 136 

The  building  of  a  city,  or  Fort  Isabella.      From  Columbus's  first  letter.  143 

A  family  group,  Ilispaniola.      Redrawn  from  Montani's  "America."..  153 

Cacique  and  attendants.      Redrawn  from  Montani's  "  America." 155 

Natives    dancing.      Redrawn    after    an    old    print    from    Gottfriedt's 

"Newe  Welt." 159 

Canoe,  Island  of  Jamaica 167 

Capturing    an    alligator.      Reproduced    fac-simile    from    Gottfriedt's 

"  Newe  Welt." I?O 

Killing  sea  wolves.     Redrawn  from  De  Bry 174 


ILL  USTRA  TIONS.  Xlii 


PAGE 


Methods  of  crossing  a  stream.     Redrawn    from  Gottfriedt's  "  Newe 

Welt." 186 

Attack  on  natives  in  trees.     From  Herrera's  "  History  of  the  West 

Indies." 193 

Type  of   fort  built  by  early  explorers.     Redrawn  from  Montani's 

"  Beschrying  van  America." 195 

Vessels  in  a  storm.     Reduced  fac-simile  from  Gottfriedt's  "Newe 

Welt." 203 

Gold  mining.     Redrawn  from  De  Bry 206 

Mining  scene.     Redrawn  from  Gottfriedt's  "  Newe  Welt." 211 

Departure  of  a  fleet.     From  Philipcno's  "  Nova  Typis." 217 

Natives  of  the  coast  of  South  America.     Redrawn  from  Spix  and  Mar 
tin's  "  Reise  in  Brasilien." 221 

The  city  of  San  Domingo.     Redrawn  from  a  print  in    Montani's 

"America,"  1671 225 

Natives  bringing  wood  and  water  to  a  Caravel.     Redrawn  from  Gott 
friedt's  "  Newe  Welt." 229 

Attack  on  a  village.     Redrawn  from  Gottfriedt's  "Newe  Welt." 237 

The  Moro  Columbus 249 

Bartholomew  Columbus.     Redrawn  from   Herrera's  "  History  of  the 

West  Indies." 265 

Natives  of   New  Spain  preparing  food.     Redrawn   trom   Gottfriedt's 
"NeweWelL" 283 

Natives  moulding  images.     Redrawn  from  De  Bry 287 

A  difficult  landing-place.     Redrawn  from  Gottfriedt's  "  Newe  Welt." .  292 

A  Cacique.     Redrawn  from  Inga's  "  West  Indische  Spieghel." 295 

Death  of  Diego  Tristan.     From  De  Lorgue's  "  Columbus." 301 


XIV  1LLUSTRA  TIONS. 

PAGE 

Natives  supplying  provisions  to  the  Spaniards.     Redrawn  from  Gott- 

friedt's    '  Newe  Welt. " 3,7 

Spanish  Soldiers.     Redrawn  from  De  Bry .  321,  322 

Burial  Ceremony       Adapted  from  Montz  Rugendas'  "  Reise  in  Brasi)- 

ien"   '  334 

Tomb  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  Granada 33g 

Amerigo  Vespucci.     Redrawn  from  "  Vita  e  Lettere  di  Amerigo  Ves 
pucci  "...  34, 

Monument  to  Columbus  in  Genoa - 


THE    AUTHENTIC    PORTRAIT    OF    CHRISTOPHER 
COLUMBUS.— (See  frontispiece.) 

FROM  A  PAINTING   IN  THE    POSSESSION    OF  WILLIAM    HARRISON   BRADLEY, 
OF   CHICAGO,    UNITED    STATES  CONSUL  AT   NICE. 


Touching:  the  history  of  the  paintine  from  which  the  above  portrait  was  taken,  Mr.  Bradley  writes  to 
the  publishers  as  follows  : 

"  In  De  Bry's  '  Grands  Voyages,'  Part  V.,  appears  an  engraving  of  Columbus  of  which  De  Bry  says 
that  it  was  engraved  from  a  copy  in  his  possession,  of  the  portrait  painted  during  the  life  of  Columbus 
under  the  instructions  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  This  original  picture,  afterwards  stolen  from  the  Casa 
de  las  Indias  and  taken  to  the  Netherlands,  was  copied  by  an  artist  of  De  Bry's  acquaintance,  and  from 
this  copy  the  engraving  appearing  in  the  '  Voyages  '  was  made,  towards  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
At  this  time,  as  later,  France  was  the  great  art  collector  of  Europe,  and  the  picture  went  where  so  much 
of  artistic  and  historic  value  was  being  collected,  for  we  find  Imbert  de  Lonne,  a  man  of  letters  and  -the 
trusted  physician  of  the  royal  family,  facing  the  terrors  of  Paris  during  the  Revolution  of  1789  to  purchase, 
at  a  sale  of  royal  effects,  keepsakes  of  the  family  he  had  served.  Among  the  articles  purchased  by  him 
was  this  picture  of  Columbus,  and  the  person  from  whom  I  purchased  it  had  received  the  painting  from 
the  granddaughter  ot  De  Lonno." 


THE 

LIFE  AND  VOYAGES  OF  COLUMBUS 

CHAPTER  I. 

BIRTH,    PARENTAGE,    EDUCATION,    AND    EARLY    LIFE   OF 

COLUMBUS. 

CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS,  or  Colombo  as  the  name 
is  written  in  Italian,  was  a  native  of  Genoa,  born  about 
the  year  1435,  of  poor  but  reputable  and  meritorious 
parentage.  He  was  the  son  of  Domenico  Colombo,  a 
wool-comber,  and  Susanna  Fontanarossa  his  wife;  and 
his  ancestors  seem  to  have  followed  the  same  trade  for 
several  generations  in  Genoa.  Attempts  have  been  made 
to  prove  him  of  illustrious  descent,  and  several  noble 
houses  have  laid  claim  to  him  since  his  name  has  become 
so  renowned  as  to  confer  rather  than  receive  distinction. 
It  is  possible  some  of  them  may  be  in  the  right,  for 
the  feuds  in  Italy  in  those  ages  had  broken  down  and 
scattered  many  of  the  noblest  families,  and  while  some 
branches  remained  in  the  lordly  heritage  of  castles  and 
domains,  others  were  confounded  with  the  humblest 
population  of  the  cities.  The  fact,  however,  is  not  mate 
rial  to  his  fame ;  and  it  is  a  higher  proof  of  merit  to  be 
the  object  of  contention  among  various  noble  families, 
than  to  be  able  to  substantiate  the  most  illustrious 


2  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

lineage.  His  sor  Fernando  had  a  true  feeling  on  the 
subject.  "I  am  of  opinion,"  says  he,  "  that  I  should 
derive  less  dignity  irom  any  nobility  of  ancestry,  than 
from  being  the  son  of  such  a  father." 

Columbus  was  the  oldest  of  four  children  ;  having  two 
brothers,  Bartholomew  and  Giacomo — or,  as  his  name  is 
translated  into  Spanish,  Diego — and  one  sister,  of  whom 
nothing  is  known,  excepting  that  she  was  married  to  a 
person  in  obscure  life,  called  Giacomo  Bavarello. 

While  very  young,  Columbus  was  taught  reading,  writ 
ing,  grammar,  and  arithmetic,  and  made  some  proficiency 
in  drawing.  He  soon  evinced  a  strong  passion  for  geo 
graphical  knowledge,  and  an  irresistible  inclination  for 
the  sea ;  and  in  after-life,  when  he  looked  back  upon  his 
career  with  a  solemn  and  superstitious  feeling,  he  regarded 
this  early  determination  of  his  mind  as  an  impulse  from 
the  Deity,  guiding  him  to  the  studies,  and  inspiring  him 
with  the  inclinations  proper  to  fit  him  for  the  high 
decrees  he  was  destined  to  accomplish.  His  father,  see 
ing  the  bent  of  his  mind,  endeavored  to  give  him  an 
education  suitable  for  maritime  life.  He  sent  him,  there 
fore,  to  the  university  of  Pavia,  where  he  was  instructed 
in  geometry,  geography,  astronomy,  and  navigation  ;  he 
acquired  also  a  familiar  knowledge  of  the  Latin  tongue, 
which  at  that  time  was  the  medium  or  msrrucnon  and 
the  language  of  the  schools.  He  remained  but  a  short 
time  at  Pavia,  barely  sufficient  to  give  him  the  rudiments 
of  the  necessary  sciences ;  the  thorough  acquaintance 
with  them  which  he  displayed  in  after-life  must  have  been 
the  result  of  diligent  self-schooling,  and  of  casual  hours 
of  study  amidst  the  cares  and  vicissitudes  of  a  rugged 
and  wandering  life.  He  was  one  of  those  men  of  strong 
natural  genius,  who  appear  to  form  themselves  ;  who, 
from  having  to  contend  at  their  very  outset  with  priva- 


ENTERS  INTO  NAUTICAL  LIFE.  3 

tions  and  impediments,  acquire  an  intrepidity  in  braving 
and  a  facility  in  vanquishing  difficulties.  Such  men  learn 
to  effect  great  purposes  with  small  means,  supplying  the 
deficiency  of  the  latter  by  the  resources  of  their  own 
energy  and  invention.  This  is  one  of  the  remarkable 
features  in  the  history  of  Columbus.  In  every  undertak 
ing,  the  scantiness  and  apparent  insufficiency  of  his  means 
enhance  the  grandeur  of  his  achievements. 


MEDITERRANEAN    GALLEY    IN    THE   TIME   OF    COLUMBUS. 
Based  on  a  design  in  Lane-Poole 's  "  Barbary  Corsairs." 

Shortly  after  leaving  the  university  he  entered  into 
nautical  life,  and,  according  to  his  own  account,  began  to 
navigate  at  fourteen  years  of  age.  A  complete  obscurity 
rests  upon  this  part  of  his  history.  It  is  supposed  he 
made  his  first  voyages  with  one  Colombo,  a  hardy  captain 
of  the  seas,  who  had  risen  to  some  distinction  by  his 
bravery,  and  who  was  a  distant  connection  of  his  family. 
This  veteran  is  occasionally  mentioned  in  old  chronicles; 
sometimes  as  commanding  a  squadron  of  his  own,  some- 


4  THE  LIFE   Of  COLUMBUS. 

times  as  being  an  admiral  in  the  Genoese  service.  He 
appears  to  have  been  bold  and  adventurous,  ready  to 
fight  in  any  cause,  and  to  seek  quarrel  wherever  it  might 
lawfully  be  found. 

The  seafaring  life  in  those  days  was  peculiarly  full  of 
hazard  and  enterprise.  Even  a  commercial  expedition 
resembled  a  warlike  cruise,  and  the  maritime  merchant 
had  often  to  fight  his  way  from  port  to  port.  Piracy  was 
almost  legalized.  The  frequent  feuds  between  the  Italian 
states;  the  cruisings  of  the  Catalonians ;  the  armadas 
fitted  out  by  noblemen,  who  were  petty  sovereigns  in 
their  own  domains;  the  roving  ships  and  squadrons  of 
private  adventurers  ;  and  the  holy  wars  waged  with  the 
Mohammedan  powers,  rendered  the  narrow  seas,  to  which 
navigation  was  principally  confined,  scenes  of  the  most 
hardy  encounters  and  trying  reverses.  Such  was  the 
rugged  school  in  which  Columbus  was  reared,  and  such 
the  rugged  teacher  that  first  broke  him  in  to  naval  dis 
cipline. 

The  first  voyage  in  which  we  hear  any  account  of  his 
being  engaged  was  in  a  naval  expedition  fitted  out  at 
Genoa  in  1459,  by  John  of  Anjou,  Duke  of  Calabria,  to 
make  a  descent  upon  Naples,  in  the  hope  of  recovering 
that  kingdom  for  his  father,  King  Reinier  or  Renato, 
otherwise  called  Rene,  Count  de  Provence.  In  this 
enterprise  the  republic  of  Genoa  aided  with  ships  and 
money,  and  many  private  adventurers  fitted  out  ships  and 
galleys  and  engaged  under  the  banners  of  Anjou.  Among 
the  number  was  the  hardy  veteran  Colombo,  who  had 
command  of  a  squadron,  and  with  him  sailed  his  youthful 
relation. 

The  struggle  of  John  of  Anjou  for  the  crown  of  Naples 
lasted  about  four  years,  with  varied  fortune  and  much 
hard  service.  The  naval  part  of  the  expedition  distin- 


EARLY  HEROISM.  5 

guished  itself  by  various  acts  of  intrepidity ;  and  when 
the  unfortunate  duke  was  at  length  reduced  to  take  refuge 
in  the  island  of  Ischia,  a  handful  of  galleys  loyally  adhered 
to  him,  guarded  the  island,  and  scoured  and  controlled 
the  whole  bay  of  Naples.  It  is  presumed  that  Columbus 
served  on  board  of  this  squadron.  That  he  must  have 
distinguished  himself  in  the  course  of  the  expedition  is 
evident,  from  his  having  been  at  one  time  appointed  to  a 
separate  command,  and  sent  on  a  daring  enterprise  to 
cut  out  a  galley  from  the  port  of  Tunis,  in  the  course  of 
which  he  exhibited  great  resolution  and  address. 

There  is  an  interval  of  several  years  during  which  we 
have  but  one  or  two  shadowy  traces  of  Columbus,  who 
is  supposed  to  have  been  principally  engaged  in  the 
Mediterranean  and  up  the  Levant,  sometimes  in  voyages 
of  commerce,  sometimes  in  warlike  contests  between  the 
Italian  states,  sometimes  in  pious  and  predatory  expedi 
tions  against  the  Infidels,  during  which  time  he  was  often 
under  the  perilous  command  of  his  old  fighting  relation, 
the  veteran  Colombo. 

The  last  anecdote  we  have  of  this  obscure  part  of  his 
life  is  given  by  his  son  Fernando.  He  says  that  his 
father  sailed  for  some  time  with  Colombo  the  younger,  a 
famous  corsair,  nephew  to  the  old  admiral  just  mentioned, 
and  apparently  heir  of  his  warlike  propensities  and  prow 
ess  ;  for  Fernando  affirms  that  he  was  so  terrible  for  his 
deeds  against  the  Infidels,  that  the  Moorish  mothers  used 
to  frighten  their  unruly  children  with  his  name. 

This  bold  rover  waylaid  four  Venetian  galleys,  richly 
laden,  on  their  return  voyage  from  Flanders,  and  attacked 
them  with  his  squadron  on  the  Portuguese  coast  between 
Lisbon  and  Cape  St.  Vincent.  The  battle  lasted  from 
morning  until  evening,  with  great  carnage  on  both  sides. 
The  vessels  grappled  each  other,  and  the  crews  fought 


O  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

hand. to  hand,  and  from  ship  to  ship.  The  vessel  com 
manded  by  Columbus  was  engaged  with  a  huge  Venetian 
galley.  They  threw  hand  grenades  and  other  fiery  mis 
siles,  and  the  galley  was  wrapped  in  flames.  The  vessels, 
being  fastened  together  by  chains  and  iron  grapplings, 
could  not  be  separated,  and  both  became  a  mere  blazing 
mass,  involved  in  one  conflagration.  The  crews  threw 
themselves  into  the  sea.  Columbus  seized  an  oar  which 
was  floating  near  him,  and,  being  an  expert  swimmer, 
attained  the  shore,  though  full  two  leagues  distant.  It 
pleased  God,  adds  his  son  Fernando,  to  give  him  strength, 
that  he  might  preserve  him  for  greater  things.  After 
recovering  from  his  exhaustion  he  repaired  to  Lisbon, 
where  he  found  many  of  his  Genoese  countrymen,  and 
was  induced  to  take  up  his  residence. 

Such  is  the  account  given  by  Fernando  of  his  father's 
first  arrival  in  Portugal,  and  it  has  been  currently  adopted 
by  modern  historians;  but  on  examining  various  his 
tories  of  the  times,  the  battle  here  described  appears  to 
have  happened  several  years  after  the  date  of  the  arrival 
of  Columbus  in  that  country.  That  he  was  engaged  in 
the  contest  is  not  improbable  ;  but  he  had  previously 
resided  for  some  time  in  Portugal.  In  fact,  on  referring 
to  the  history  of  that  kingdom,  we  shall  find,  in  the  great 
maritime  enterprises  in  which  it  was  at  that  time  engaged, 
ample  attractions  for  a  person  of  his  inclinations  and  pur 
suits ;  and  we  shall  be  led  to  conclude,  that  his  first  visit 
to  Lisbon  was  not  the  fortuitous  result  of  a  desperate 
adventure,  but  was  undertaken  in  a  spirit  of  liberal  curi 
osity,  and  in  the  pursuit  of  honorable  fortune. 


PRINCE  HENRY  OF  PORTUGAL. 


CHAPTER  IL 

PROGRESS  OF  DISCOVERY  UNDER  PRINCE  HENRY  OF 
PORTUGAL.— RESIDENCE  OF  COLUMBUS  IN  LISBON. 
—IDEAS  CONCERNING  ISLANDS  IN  THE  OCEAN. 

THE  career  of  modern  discovery  had  commenced  shortly 
before  the  time  of  Columbus,  and,  at  the  period  of  which 
we  are  treating,  was  prosecuted  with  great  activity  by 
Portugal.  The  rediscovery  of  the  Canary  Islands  in  the 
fourteenth  century,  and  the  occasional  voyages  made  to 
them  and  to  the  opposite  shores  of  Africa,  had  first 
turned  the  attention  of  mankind  in  that  direction.  The 
grand  impulse  to  discovery,  however,  was  given  by  Prince 
Henry  of  Portugal,  son  of  John  the  First,  surnamed  the 
Avenger,  and  Philippa  of  Lancaster,  sister  of  Henry  the 
Fourth  of  England.  Having  accompanied  his  father  into 
Africa,  in  an  expedition  against  the  Moors,  he  received 
much  information  at  Ceuta  concerning  the  coast  of 
Guinea,  and  other  regions  entirely  unknown  to  Euro 
peans  ;  and  conceived  an  idea  that  important  discoveries 
were  to  be  made  by  navigating  along  the  western  coast 
of  Africa.  On  returning  to  Portugal,  he  pursued  the  vein 
of  inquiry  thus  accidentally  opened.  Abandoning  the 
court,  he  retired  to  a  country  retreat  in  the  Algarves, 
near  to  Sagres,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cape  St.  Vincent, 
and  in  full  view  of  the  ocean.  Here  he  drew  round  him 
men  eminent  in  science,  and  gave  himself  up  to  those 
branches  of  study  connected  with  the  maritime  arts.  He 
made  himself  master  of  all  the  geographical  knowledge 
of  the  ancients,  and  of  the  astronomical  science  of  the 
Arabians  of  Spain.  The  result  of  his  studies  was  a  firm 


8  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

conviction  that  Africa  was  circumnavigable,  and  that  it 
was  possible,  by  keeping  along  its  shores,  to  arrive  at 
India. 

For  a  long  time  past,  the  opulent  trade  of  Asia  had 
been  monopolized  by  the  Italians,  who  had  their  com 
mercial  establishments  at  Constantinople  and  in  the 
Black  Sea.  Thither  all  the  precious  commodities  of  the 
East  were  conveyed  by  a  circuitous  and  expensive  inter 
nal  route,  to  be  thence  distributed  over  Europe.  The 
republics  of  Venice  and  Genoa  had  risen  to  power  and 
opulence  in  consequence  of  this  monopoly;  their  mer 
chants  emulated  the  magnificence  of  princes,  and  held 
Europe,  in  a  manner,  tributary  to  their  commerce.  It 
was  the  grand  idea  of  Prince  Henry,  by  circumnavigat 
ing  Africa,  to  open  an  easier  and  less  expensive  route  to 
the  source  of  this  commerce,  to  turn  it  suddenly  into  a 
new  and  simple  channel,  and  to  pour  it  out  in  a  golden 
tide  upon  his  country.  He  was  before  the  age  in  thought, 
and  had  to  struggle  hard  against  the  ignorance  and  pre 
judices  of  mankind  in  the  prosecution  of  his  design. 
Navigation  was  yet  in  its  infancy.  Mariners  feared  to 
venture  far  from  the  coast,  or  out  of  sight  of  its  land 
marks,  and  they  looked  with  awe  at  the  vast  and  un 
known  expanse  of  the  Atlantic.  They  cherished  the  old 
belief  that  the  earth  at  the  equator  was  girdled  by  a 
torrid  zone,  separating  the  hemispheres  by  a  region  of 
impassive  heat  ;  and  they  had  a  superstitious  belief,  that 
whoever  doubled  Cape  Bojador  would  never  return. 

Prince  Henry  called  in  the  aid  of  science  to  dispel 
these  errors.  He  established  a  naval  college  and  observa 
tory  at  Sa-gres,  and  invited  thither  the  most  eminent 
professors  of  the  nautical  faculties.  The  effects  of  this 
establishment  were  soon  apparent.  A  vast  improvement 
took  place  in  maps  and  charts  ;  the  compass  was  brought 


ARRIVAL  AT  LISBON.  9 

into  more  general  use ;  the  Portuguese  marine  became 
signalized  for  its  hardy  enterprises  ;  Cape  Bojador  was 
doubled  ;  the  region  of  the  tropics  penetrated  and  divested 
of  its  fancied  terrors;  the  greater  part  of  the  African 
coast,  from  Cape  Blanco  to  Cape  de  Verde,  explored  ; 
and  the  Cape  de  Verde  and  Azore  Islands  discovered. 
To  secure  the  full  enjoyment  of  these  territories,  Henry 
obtained  a  papal  bull,  investing  the  Crown  of  Portugal 
with  sovereign  authority  over  all  the  lands  it  might  dis 
cover  in  the  Atlantic,  to  India  inclusive.  Henry  died  on 
the  1 3th  of  November,  1473,  before  he  had  accomplished 
the  great  object  of  his  ambition  ;  but  he  had  lived  long 
enough  to  behold,  through  his  means,  his  native  coun 
try  in  a  grand  career  of  prosperity.  He  has  been  well 
described  as  u  full  of  thoughts  of  lofty  enterprise,  and 
acts  of  generous  spirit."  He  bore  for  his  device  the 
magnanimous  motto,  "  the  talent  to  do  good,"  the  only 
talent  worthy  the  ambition  of  princes. 

The  fame  of  the  Portuguese  discoveries  drew  the 
attention  of  the  world  ;  and  the  learned,  the  curious, 
and  the  adventurous  resorted  to  Lisbon  to  engage  in 
the  enterprises  continually  fitting  out.  Among  the  rest, 
Columbus  arrived  there  about  the  year  1470.  He  was 
at  that  time  in  the  full  vigor  of  manhood,  and  of  an 
engaging  presence;  and  here  it  may  not  be  improper  to 
draw  his  portrait,  according  to  the  minute  descriptions 
given  of  him  by  his  contemporaries.  He  was  tall,  well- 
formed,  and  muscular,  and  of  an  elevated  and  dignified 
demeanor.  His  visage  was  long,  and  neither  full  nor 
meagre;  his  complexion,  fair  and  freckled,  and  inclined 
to  ruddy;  his  nose,  aquiline  ;  his  cheek-bones  were  rather 
high  ;  his  eyes,  light  gray,  and  apt  to  enkindle ;  his  whole 
countenance  had  an  air  of  authority.  His  hair,  in  his 
youthful  days,  was  of  a  light  color ;  but  care  and  trouble 


10  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

soon  turned  it  gray,  and  at  thirty  years  of  age  it  was  quite 
white.  He  was  moderate  and  simple  in  diet  and  apparel, 
eloquent  in  discourse,  engaging  and  affable  with  strangers, 
and  of  an  amiableness  and  suavity  in  domestic  life  that 
strongly  attached  his  household  to  his  person.  His 
temper  was  naturally  irritable;  but  he  subdued  it  by  the 
magnanimity  of  his  spirit,  comporting  himself  with  a 
courteous  and  gentle  gravity,  and  never  indulging  in  any 
intemperance  of  language.  Throughout  his  life  he  was 
noted  for  a  strict  attention  to  the  offices  of  religion  ;  nor 
did  his  piety  consist  in  mere  forms,  but  partook  of  that 
lofty  and  solemn  enthusiasm  with  which  his  whole  char 
acter  was  strongly  tinctured. 

While  at  Lisbon  he  was  accustomed  to  attend  religious 
service  at  the  chapel  of  the  Convent  of  All  Saints.  Here 
he  became  acquainted  with  a  lady  of  rank,  named  Dofta 
Felipa,  who  resided  in  the  convent.  She  was  the  daugh 
ter  of  Bartolomeo  Mofiis  de  Palestrello,  an  Italian  cava 
lier,  lately  deceased,  who  had  been  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  navigators  under  Prince  Henry,  and  had 
colonized  and  governed  the  island  of  -Porto  Santo.  The 
acquaintance  soon  ripened  into  attachment  and  ended  in 
marriage.  It  appears  to  have  been  a  match  of  mere 
affection,  as  the  lady  had  little  or  no  fortune. 

The  newly  married  couple  resided  with  the  mother  of 
the  bride.  The  latter,  perceiving  the  interest  which  her 
son-in-law  took  in  najjtical  affairs,  used  to  relate  to  him 
all  she  knew  of  the  voyages  and  expeditions  of  her  late 
husband,  and  delivered  to  him  all  his  charts,  journals,  and 
other  manuscripts.  By  these  means  Columbus  became 
acquainted  with  the  routes  of  the  Portuguese,  and  their 
plans  and  ideas  ;  and,  having  by  his  marriage  and  residence 
become  naturalized  in  Portugal,  he  sailed  occasionally  in 
the  expeditions  to  the  coast  of  Guinea.  When  at  home 


DREAMS  OF  DISCOVERY.  II 

he  supported  his  family  by  making  maps  and  charts  ;  and, 
though  his  means  were  scanty,  he  appropriated  a  part  to 
the  education  of  his  younger  brothers,  and  the  succor  of 
his  aged  father  at  Genoa.  From  Lisbon  he  removed  for 
a  time  to  the  recently  discovered  island  of  Porto  Santo, 
where  his  wife  had  inherited  some  property,  and  during 
his  residence  there  she  bore  him  a  son,  whom  he  named 
Diego.  His  wife's  sister  was  married  to  Pedro  Correo, 
a  navigator  of  note,  who  had  at  one  time  been  governor 
of  Porto  Santo.  In  the  familiar  intercourse  of  domestic 
life,  their  conversation  frequently  turned  upon  the  discov 
eries  of  the  Atlantic  islands,  and  the  African  coasts,  upon 
the  long-sought-for  route  to  India,  and  upon  the  possi 
bility  of  unknown  lands  existing  in  the  West.  It  was  a 
period  of  general  excitement  with  all  who  were  connect 
ed  with  maritime  life,  or  who  resided  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  ocean.  The  recent  discoveries  had  inflamed  their 
imaginations, and  had  filled  them  with  ideas  of  other  isl 
ands  of  greater  wealth  and  beauty  yet  to  be  discovered  in 
the  boundless  wastes  of  the  Atlantic.  The  opinions  and 
fancies  of  the  ancients  were  again  put  into  circulation  ; 
the  island  of  Antilla,  and  Plato's  imaginary  Atlantis,  once 
more  found  firm  believers;  and  a  thousand  rumors  were 
spread  of  unknown  islands  casually  seen  in  the  ocean. 
Many  of  these  were  mere  fables;  many  of  them  had  their 
origin  in  the  self-deception  of  voyagers,  whose  heated 
fancies  beheld  islands  in  those  summer  clouds  which  lie 
along  the  horizon  and  often  beguile  the  sailor  with  the 
idea  of  distant  land.  The  most  singular  instance  of  this 
kind  of  self-deception,  or  rather  of  optical  delusion,  is 
that  recorded  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Canaries.  They 
imagined  that  from  time  to  time  they  beheld  a  vast  island 
to  the  westward,  with  lofty  mountains  and  deep  valleys. 
Nor  was  it  seen  in  cloudy  or  dubious  weather,  but  with 


12  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

all  the  distinctness  with  which  distant  objects  may  be 
discerned  in  the  transparent  atmosphere  of  a  tropical 
climate.  It  is  true,  it  was  only  seen  transiently,  and  at 
long  intervals  ;  while  at  other  times,  and  in  the  clearest 
weather,  not  a  vestige  of  it  was  visible ;  but  so  persuaded 
were  the  people  of  the  Canaries  of  its  reality,  that  they  ob 
tained  permission  from  the  king  of  Portugal  to  fit  out  vari 
ous  expeditions  in  search  of  it.  The  island,  however,  was 
never  to  be  found,  though  it  still  continued  occasionally 
to  cheat  the  eye  ;  many  identified  it  with  a  legendary 
island,  said  to  have  been  discovered  in  the  sixth  century 
by  a  Scottish  priest  of  the  name  of  St.  Brandan,  and  it 
was  actually  laid  down  in  many  maps  of  the  times,  by  the 
name  of  St.  Brandan,  or  St.  Borondon. 

All  these  tales  and  rumors  were  noted  down  with 
curious  care  by  Columbus,  and  may  have  had  some  in 
fluence  over  his  imagination  ;  but,  though  of  a  visionary 
spirit,  his  penetrating  genius  sought  in  deeper  sources  for 
the  aliment  of  its  meditations.  The  voyages  he  had 
made  to  Guinea,  and  his  frequent  occupation  in  making 
maps  and  charts,  had  led  him  more  and  more  to  specu 
late  on  the  great  object  of  geographical  enterprise;  but 
while  others  were  slowly  and  painfully  seeking  a  route  to 
India,  by  following  up  the  coast  of  Africa,  his  daring  gen 
ius  conceived  the  bold  idea  of  turning  his  prow  directly 
to  the  west,  and  seeking  the  desired  land  by  a  route 
across  the  Atlantic.  Having  once  conceived  this  idea, 
it  is  interesting  to  notice  from  what  a  mass  of  acknowl 
edged  facts,  rational  hypotheses,  fanciful  narrations,  and 
popular  rumors,  his  grand  project  of  discovery  was  wrought 
out  by  the  strong  workings  of  his  vigorous  mind. 


BELIEF  IN   UNDISCOVERED  LANDS.  1 3 


CHAPTER   III. 

GROUNDS  ON  WHICH  COLUMBUS  FOUNDED  HIS  BELIEF 
OF  THE  EXISTENCE  OF  UNDISCOVERED  LANDS  IN 
THE  WEST. 

WE  have  a  record  of  the  determination  of  Columbus 
to  seek  a  western  route  to  India,  as  early  as  the  year 
1474,  in  a  correspondence  which  he  held  with  Paulo 
Toscanelli,  a  learned  cosmographer  of  Florence  ;  and  he 
had  doubtless  meditated  it  for  a  long  time  previous. 
I  He  was  moved  to  this  determination  by  a  diligent  study 
[  of  all  the  geographical  theories  of  the  ancients,  aided  by 
his  own  experience,  by  the  discoveries  of  the  moderns, 
and  the  advancement  of  astronomical  science.  He  set 
it  down  as  a  fundamental  principle,  that  the  earth  was  a 
terraqueous  globe,  which  might  be  travelled  round  from 
east  to  west,  and  that  men  stood  foot  to  foot  when  on 
opposite  points.  The  circumference  from  east  to  west,  at 
the  equator,  he  divided,  according  to  Ptolemy,  into  twenty- 
four  hours,  of  fifteen  degrees  each,  making  three  hun 
dred  and  sixty  degrees.  Of  these  he  imagined,  compar 
ing  the  globe  of  Ptolemy  with  the  earlier  map  of  Marinus 
of  Tyre,  that  fifteen  hours  had  been  known  to  the  an 
cients,  extending  from  the  Canary  or  Fortunate  Islands, 
to  the  city  of  Thinae  in  Asia,  the  western  and  eastern 
extremities  of  the  known  world.  The  Portuguese  had 
advanced  the  western  frontier  one  hour  more  by  the  dis 
covery  of  the  Azore  and  Cape  de  Verde  Islands ;  still 
about  eight  hours,  or  one-third  of  the  circumference  of 
the  earth,  remained  to  be  explored.  This  space  he  im 
agined  to  be  occupied  in  a  great  measure  by  the  eastern 


14  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

regions  of  Asia,  which  might  extend  so  far  as  to  approach 
the  western  shores  of  Europe  and  Africa.  A  navigator, 
therefore,  by  pursuing  a  direct  course  from  east  to  west, 
must  arrive  at  the  extremity  of  Asia,  or  discover  any 
intervening  land.  The  great  obstacle  to  be  apprehended 
was  from  the  tract  of  ocean  that  might  intervene;  but 
this  could  not  be  very  wide,  if  the  opinion  of  Alfraganus 
the  Arabian  were  admitted,  who,  by  diminishing  the  size 
of  the  degrees,  gave  to  the  earth  a  smaller  circumference 
than  was  assigned  to  it  by  other  cosmographers;  a  the 
ory  to  which  Columbus  seems,  generally,  to  have  given 
much  faith.  He  was  fortified,  also,  by  the  opinion  of 
Aristotle,  Seneca,  Pliny,  and  Strabo,  who  considered  the 
ocean  as  but  of  moderate  breadth,  so  that  one  might  pass 
from  Cadiz  westward  to  the  Indies  in  a  few  days. 

Columbus  derived  great  support  to  his  theory,  also, 
from  a  letter  which  he  received  in  1474  from  Paulo  Tosca- 
nelli,  the  learned  Florentine  already  mentioned,  who  was 
considered  one  of  the  ablest  cosmographers  of  the  day. 
This  letter  was  made  up  from  the  narrative  of  Marco 
Polo,  a  Venetian  traveller,  who,  in  the  fourteenth  cen 
tury,  had  penetrated  the  remote  parts  of  Asia,  far  beyond 
the  regions  laid  down  by  Ptolemy.  Toscanelli  encour 
aged  Columbus  in  an  intention  which  he  had  communi 
cated  to  him,  of  seeking  India  by  a  western  course,  assur 
ing  him  that  the  distance  could  not  be  more  than  four 
thousand  miles  in  a  direct  line  from  Lisbon  to  the 
province  of  Mangi,  near  Cathay,  since  ascertained  to  be 
the  northern  coast  of  China,  Of  this  country  a  magnifi 
cent  description  was  given,  according  to  Marco  Polo,  who 
extols  the  power  and  grandeur  of  its  sovereign,  the  Great 
Khan,  the  splendor  and  magnitude  of  his  capitals  of  Cam- 
balu  and  Quinsai,  or  Kinsay,  and  the  wonders  of  the 
island  of  Cipango,  or  Zipangi,  supposed  to  be  Japan. 


PART    OF    A    TERRESTRIAL    GLOBE    MADE    AT    NUREM 
BERG   IN   THE   YEAR    1492,  BY    MARTIN   BEHEM. 


REFERENCES. 

A. — Cipanga.  Has  its  own 
kings  and  language. 
People  idolaters.  The 
richest  island  of  the 
East  in  gold  and  spices. 

B. — In  the  year  565  St. 
Brandan  came  in  his 
ship  to  this  island. 

C.— Bergi  Cathay,  King 
dom  of  Thohat. 

D.— King  of  Mangi. 

E.— Kingdom  of  India,  or 
Concha.  India  of  Ptol 
emy. 

F.— I  n  d  i  a  —  pars  Indiae 
extra  Gang  em.  Ci- 
amba. 

G. — The  mountains  of 
Thebet. 

H.— Port  of  Ciamba. 

I.— Oceanus  Indiae  Superi- 
oris. 

J.— An  island  on  which  are 
gold  and  spices. 

K. — Here  are  caught  white 
falcons. 


This  segment  of  Behem's  terrestrial  globe  was  made  at  Nuremberg  in 
the  year  1492,  the  very  year  in  which  Columbus  departed  on  his  first  voyage 
of  discovery.  Martin  Behem,  the  inventor,  was  one  of  the  most  learned 
cosmographers  of  the  time,  and  having  resided  at  Lisbon  in  the  employ  of 
the  king  of  Portugal,  he  had  probably  seen  the  map  of  Toscanelli,  and  the 
documents  submitted  by  Columbus  to  the  consideration  of  the  Portuguese 
government.  His  globe  may,  therefore,  be  presumed  illustrative  of  the 
idea  entertained  by  Columbus  of  the  islands  in  the  ocean  near  the  extrem 
ity  of  Asia,  at  the  time  he  undertook  his  discovery. 


l6  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

This  island  he  places  opposite  Cathay,  far  in  the  ocean, 
and  represents  it  as  abounding  in  gold,  precious  stones, 
and  spices,  and  that  the  palace  of  the  king  was  covered 
with  plates  of  gold,  as  edifices  in  other  countries  are  cov 
ered  with  sheets  of  lead. 

The  work  of  Marco  Polo  is  deserving  of  this  particular 
mention,  from  being  a  key  to  many  of  the  ideas  and 
speculations  of  Columbus.  The  territories  of  the  Grand 
Khan,  as  described  by  the  Venetian,  were  the  objects  of 
his  diligent  search  in  all  his  voyages ;  and  in  his  cruis- 
ings  among  the  Antilles  he  was  continually  flattering 
himself  with  the  hopes  of  arriving  at  the  opulent  island 
of  Cipango,  and  the  shores  of  Mangi  and  Cathay.  The 
letter  of  Paulo  Toscanelli  was  accompanied  by  a  map, 
projected  partly  according  to  Ptolemy,  and  partly  accord 
ing  to  the  descriptions  of  Marco  Polo.  The  eastern  coast 
of  Asia  was  depicted  in  front  of  the  coasts  of  Africa  and 
Europe,  with  a  moderate  space  of  ocean  between  them, 
in  which  were  placed,  at  convenient  distances,  Cipango, 
Antilla,  and  the  other  islands.  By  this  conjectural  map 
Columbus  governed  himself  in  his  first  voyage. 

Besides  these  learned  authorities,  Columbus  was  atten 
tive  to  every  gleam  of  information  bearing  upon  his  the 
ory  that  might  be  derived  from  veteran  mariners,  and 
the  inhabitants  oF  the  lately  discovered  islands,  who  were 
placed,  in  a  manner,  on  the  frontier  posts  of  geographical 
knowledge.  One  Antonio  Leone,  an  inhabitant  of  Ma 
deira,  told  him  that  in  sailing  westward  one  hundred 
leagues  he  had  seen  three  islands  at  a  distance.  A  mari 
ner  of  Port  St.  Mary,  also,  asserted  that  in  the  course  of 
a  voyage  to  Ireland  he  had  seen  land  to  the  west,  which 
the  ship's  company  took  for  some  extreme  part  of  Tar- 
tary.  One  Martin  Vicenti,  a  pilot  in  the  service  of  the 
king  of  Portugal,  assured  Columbus  that,  after  sailing 


THEORIES  DEVELOPING.  1 7 

four  hundred  and  fifty  leagues  to  the  west  of  Cape  St. 
Vincent,  he  had  taken  from  the  water  a  piece  of  carved 
wood,  evidently  not  labored  with  an  iron  instrument. 
As  the  wind  had  drifted  it  from  the  west,  it  might  have 
come  from  some  unknown  land  in  that  direction. 

Pedro  Correo,  brother-in-law  of  Columbus,  also  informed 
him  that  he  had  seen  a  similar  piece  of  wood  on  the 
island  of  Porto  Santo,  which  had  drifted  from  the  same 
quarter,  and  he  had  heard  from  the  king  of  Portugal  that 
reeds  of  an  immense  size  had  floated  to  those  islands  from 
the  west,  which  Columbus  supposed  to  be  the  kind  of 
reeds  of  enormous  magnitude  described  by  Ptolemy  as 
growing  in  India.  Trunks  of  huge  pine-trees,  of  a  kind 
that  did  not  grow  upon  any  of  the  islands,  had  been 
wafted  to  the  Azores  by  westerly  winds.  The  inhabit 
ants  also  informed  him  that  the  bodies  of  two  dead  men 
had  been  cast  upon  the  island  of  Flores,  whose  features 
had  caused  great  wonder  and  speculation,  being  different 
from  those  of  any  known  race  of  people. 

Such  are  the  principal  grounds  on  which,  according  to 
Fernando  Columbus,  his  father  proceeded  from  one  posi 
tion  to  another  of  his  theory.  It  is  evident,  however, 
that  the  grand  argument  which  induced  him  to  his  enter 
prise  was  the  one  first  cited*  namely,  that  the  most 
eastern  part  of  Asia  known  to  the  ancients  could  not  be 
separated  from  the  Azores  by  more  than  a  third  of  the 
circumference  of  the  globe ;  that  the  intervening  space 
must,  in  a  great  measure,  be  filled  up  by  the  unknown 
residue  of  Asia  ;  and  that,  as  the  circumference  of  the 
world  was  less  than  was  generally  supposed,  the  Asiatic 
shores  could  easily  be  attained  by  a  moderate  voyage  to 
the  west.  It  is  singular  how  much  the  success  of  this 

o 

great  enterprise  depended  upon  two  happy  errors,  the 
imaginary  extent  of  Asia  to  the  east,  and  the  supposed 

3 


1 8  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

smallness  of  the  earth;  both  errors  of  the  most  learned 
and  profound  philosophers,  but  without  which  Columbus 
would  hardly  have  ventured  into  the  western  regions  of 
the  Atlantic,  in  whose  unknown  and  perhaps  immeasur 
able  waste  of  waters  he  might  perish  before  he  could 
reach  a  shore. 

When  Columbus  had  once  formed  his  theory,  it  became 
fixed  in  his  mind  with  singular  firmness.  He  never  spoke 
in  doubt  or  hesitation,  but  with  as  much  certainty  as  if 
his  eyes  had  beheld  the  Promised  Land.  A  deep  relig 
ious  sentiment  mingled  with  his  thoughts,  and  gave  them 
at  times  a  tinge  of  superstition,  but  of  a  sublime  and  lofty 
kind.  He  looked  upon  himself  as  standing  in  the  hand 
of  heaven,  chosen  from  among  men  for  the  accomplish 
ment  of  its  high  purpose ;  he  read,  as  he  supposed,  his 
contemplated  discovery  foretold  in  Holy  Writ,  and  shad 
owed  forth  darkly  in  the  prophecies.  The  ends  of  the 
earth  were  to  be  brought  together,  and  all  nations  and 
tongues  and  languages  united  under  the  banners  of  the 
Redeemer. 

The  enthusiastic  nature  of  his  conceptions  gave  an 
elevation  to  his  spirit,  and  a  dignity  and  loftiness  to  his 
whole  demeanor.  He  conferred  with  sovereigns  almost 
with  a  feeling  of  equality.  His  proposed  discovery  was 
of  empires;  his  conditions  were  proportionally  magnifi 
cent,  nor  would  he  ever,  even  after  long  delays,  repeated 
disappointments,  and  when  under  the  pressure  of  actual 
penury,  abate  what  appeared  to  others  extravagant 
demands.  Those  who  could  not  conceive  how  an  ardent 
and  comprehensive  mind  could  arrive  by  presumptive 
evidence  at  so  firm  a  conviction,  sought  for  other  modes 
of  accounting  for  it  ;  and  gave  countenance  to  an  idle  tale 
of  his  having  received  previous  information  of  the  western 
world  from  a  tempest-tost  pilot  who  had  died  in  his  house, 


VOYAGE    TO    THULE.  1 9 

bequeathing  him  written  accounts  of  an  unknown  land 
in  the  west,  upon  which  he  had  been  driven  by  adverse 
winds.  This,  and  other  attempts  to  cast  a  shade  upon 
his  fame,  have  been  diligently  examined  and  refuted  ; 
and  it  appears  evident  that  his  great  enterprise  was  the 
bold  conception  of  his  genius,  quickened  by  the  impulse 
of  the  age,  and  aided  by  those  scattered  gleams  of  knowl 
edge  which  fall  ineffectually  upon  ordinary  minds. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

EVENTS  IN  PORTUGAL  RELATIVE  TO  DISCOVERY. — PROP 
OSITIONS  OF  COLUMBUS  TO  THE  PORTUGUESE 
COURT. 

WHILE  the  design  of  attempting  the  discovery  in  the 
west  was  maturing  in  the  mind  of  Columbus,  he  made  a 
voyage  to  the  northern  seas,  to  the  island  of  Thule,  to 
which  the  English  navigators,  particularly  those  of  Bris 
tol,  were  accustomed  to  resort  on  account  of  its  fishery. 
He  even  advanced,  he  says,  one  hundred  leagues  beyond, 
penetrated  the  polar  circle,  and  convinced  himself  of  the 
fallacy  of  the  popular  belief  that  the  frozen  zone  was 
uninhabitable.  The  island  thus  mentioned  by  him  as 
Thule  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  Iceland,  which 
is  far  to  the  west  of  the  Ultima  Thule  of  the  ancients,  as 
laid  down  on  the  map  of  Ptolemy.  Nothing  more  is 
known  of  this  voyage,  in  which  we  discern  indications 
of  that  ardent  and  impatient  desire  to  break  away  from 
the  limits  of  the  old  world,  and  launch  into  the  unknown 
regions  of  the  ocean. 

Several  years  elapsed   without   any  decided  effort  on 


2O  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

the  part  of  Columbus  to  carry  his  design  into  execution. 
An  enterprise  of  the  kind  required  the  patronage  of  some 
sovereign  power,  which  could  furnish  the  necessary 
means,  could  assume  dominion  over  the  lands  to  be  dis 
covered,  and  could  insure  suitable  rewards  and  dignities 
to  the  discoverer. 

The  cause  of  discovery  had  languished  during  the  lat 
ter  part  of  the  reign  of  Alphonso  of  Portugal,  who  was 
too  much  engrossed  with  his  wars  with  Spain  to  engage 
in  peaceful  enterprises  of  great  cost  and  doubtful  result. 
Navigation,  also,  was  still  too  imperfect  for  so  perilous  an 
undertaking  as  that  proposed  by  Columbus.  Discovery 
advanced  slowly  along  the  coasts  of  Africa,  and  though 
the  compass  had  been  introduced  into  more  general  use, 
yet  mariners  rarely  ventured  far  out  of  sight  of  land  ; 
they  even  feared  to  cruise  far  into  the  southern  hemi 
sphere,  with  the  stars  of  which  they  were  totally  un 
acquainted.  To  such  men,  therefore,  the  project  of 
a  voyage  directly  westward,  in  quest  of  some  imagined 
land  in  the  boundless  wastes  of  the  ocean,  appeared  as 
extravagant  as  it  would  at  the  present  day  to  launch 
forth  in  a  balloon  into  the  regions  of  space,  in  quest  of 
some  distant  star. 

The  time,  however,  was  at  hand  that  was  to  extend 
the  power  of  navigation.  The  era  was  propitious  to  the 
quick  advancement  of  knowledge.  The  recent  invention 
of  printing  enabled  men  to  communicate  rapidly  and 
extensively  their  ideas  and  discoveries.  It  multiplied 
and  spread  abroad,  and  placed  in  every  hand,  those 
volumes  of  information  which  had  hitherto  existed  only 
in  costly  manuscripts,  treasured  up  in  the  libraries  of 
colleges  and  convents.  At  this  juncture  John  the  Second 
ascended  the  throne  of  Portugal.  He  had  imbibed  the 
passion  for  discovery  from  his  grand-uncle,  Prince  Henry, 


IMPORTANT   USE   OF   THE  ASTROLABE.  21 

and  with  his  reign  all  its  activity  revived.  The  recent, 
attempts  to  discover  a  route  to  India  had  excited  an 
eager  curiosity  concerning  the  remote  parts  of  the  East, 
and  had  revived  all  the  accounts,  true  and  fabulous,  of 
travellers.  Among  these  were  the  tales  told  of  the  re 
nowned  Prester  John,  a  Christian  king,  said  to  hold  sway 
in  a  remote  part  of  the  East,  but  whose  kingdom  seemed 
to  baffle  research  as  effectually  as  the  unsubstantial  island 
of  St.  Brandan.  All  the  fables  and  dreamy  speculations 
concerning  this  shadowy  potentate,  and  his  oriental  realm, 
were  again  put  in  circulation.  It  was  fancied  that  traces 
of  his  empire  had  been  discerned  in  the  interior  of  Africa,, 
to  the  east  of  Benin,  where  there  was  a  powerful  prince, 
who  used  a  cross  among  the  insignia  of  royalty;  and 
John  the  Second,  in  the  early  part  of  his  reign,  actually 
sent  missions  in  quest  of  the  visionary  Prester  John. 

Impatient  of  the  tardiness  with  which  his  discoveries 
advanced  along  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  eager  to  realize 
the  splendid  project  of  Prince  Henry,  and  conduct  the 
Portuguese  flag  into  the  Indian  seas,  John  the  Second 
called  upon  his  men  of  science  to  devise  some  means  of 
giving  greater  scope  and  certainty  to  navigation.  His 
two  physicians,  Roderigo  and  Joseph,  the  latter  a  Jew, 
who  were  the  most  able  astronomers  and  cosmographers 
of  his  kingdom,  together  with  the  celebrated  Martin 
Behem,  entered  into  a  consultation  on  the  subject ;  and 
the  result  of  their  conferences  was  the  application  of  the 
astrolabe  to  navigation.  This  instrument  has  since  been 
improved  and  modified  into  the  modern  quadrant,  of 
which,  even  at  its  first  introduction,  it  possessed  all  the 
essential  advantages.  This  invention  was  one  of  those 
timely  occurrences  which  seem  to  have  something  provi 
dential  in  them.  It  was  the  one  thing  wanting  to  facilitate 
an  intercourse  across  the  deep,  and  to  cast  navigation 


32  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

loose  from  its  long  bondage  to  the  land.  Science  had 
thus  prepared  guides  for  discovery  across  the  trackless 
ocean,  and  had  divested  the  enterprise  of  Columbus  of 
that  extremely  hazardous  character  which  had  been  so 
great  an  obstacle  to  its  accomplishment.  It  was  immedi 
ately  after  this  event  that  he  solicited  an  audience  of  the 
king  of  Portugal,  to  lay  before  him  his  great  project  of 
discovery.  This  is  the  first  proposition  of  which  we 
have  any  clear  and  indisputable  record,  although  it  has 
been  strongly  asserted,  and  with  probability,  that  he  had 
made  one,  at  an  earlier  period,  to  his  native  country, 
Genoa. 

Columbus  obtained  a  ready  audience  of  King  John, 
who  was  extremely  liberal  in  encouraging  and  rewarding 
nautical  enterprise.  He  explained  to  the  monarch  his 
theory,  and  proposed,  in  case  the  king  would  furnish  him 
with  ships  and  men,  to  conduct  them  by  a  shorter  route 
to  the  richest  countries  of  the  East,  to  touch  at  the  opu 
lent  island  of  Cipango,  and  to  establish  a  communication 
with  the  territories  of  the  Grand  Khan,  the  most  splen 
did,  powerful,  and  wealthy  of  oriental  potentates. 

King  John  listened  attentively  to  the  proposition  of 
Columbus,  and  referred  it  to  a  learned  junto  composed  of 
Masters  Roderigo  and  Joseph  and  the  king's  confessor, 
Diego  Ortiz,  bishop  of  Ceuta,  a  man  greatly  reputed  for 
his  learning,  a  Castilian  by  birth,  and  generally  called 
Cazadilla,  from  the  name  of  his  birthplace.  This  scien 
tific  body  treated  the  project  as  extravagant  and  vision 
ary.  Still  the  king  was  not  satisfied,  but  convoked  his 
council,  composed  of  persons  of  the  greatest  learning  in 
the  kingdom,  and  asked  their  advice.  In  this  assembly 
Cazadilla,  the  bishop  of  Ceuta,  opposed  the  theory  of 
Columbus  as  destitute  of  reason,  and,  indeed,  evinced  a 
cold  and  narrow  spirit  hostile  to  all  discovery.  The 


DETERMINES   UPON  LEAVING  PORTUGAL.          23 

decision  of  the  council  was  equally  unfavorable  with  that 
of  the  junto,  and  the  proposition  of  Columbus  was  re 
jected. 

Certain  of  the  counsellors,  and  particularly  the  bishop 
Cazadilla,  seeing  that  the  king  was  dissatisfied  with  their 
decision  and  retained  a  lurking  inclination  for  the  enter 
prise,  suggested  a  stratagem  by  which  all  its  advantages 
might  be  secured  without  committing  the  dignity  of  the 
crown  by  entering  into  formal  negotiations  about  a 
scheme  which  might  prove  a  mere  chimera.  The  king, 
in  an  evil  hour,  departed  from  his  usual  justice  and  gen 
erosity,  and  had  the  weakness  to  permit  their  stratagem. 
These  crafty  counsellors  then  procured  from  Columbus, 
as  if  to  assist  them  in  their  deliberations,  a  detailed  plan 
of  his  proposed  voyage,  with  the  charts  by  which  he  in 
tended  to  shape  his  course.  While  they  held  him  in  sus 
pense  awaiting  their  decision,  they  privately  dispatched 
a  caravel  to  pursue  the  designated  route. 

The  caravel  took  its  departure  from  the  Cape  de 
Verde  Islands  and  stood  westward  for  several  days.  The 
weather  grew  stormy,  and  the  pilots,  having  no  zeal  to 
stimulate  them,  and  seeing  nothing  but  an  immeasurable 
waste  of  wild,  tumbling  waves  still  extending  before 
them,  lost  all  courage  and  put  back  to  the  Cape  de 
Verde  Islands  and  thence  to  Lisbon,  excusing  their  own 
want  of  resolution  by  ridiculing  the  project  as  extrava 
gant  and  irrational. 

This  unworthy  attempt  to  defraud  him  of  his  enter 
prise  roused  the  indignation  of  Columbus,  and  though 
King  John,  it  is  said,  showed  a  disposition  to  renew  the 
negotiation,  he  resolutely  declined.  His  wife  had  been 
for  some  time  dead ;  the  domestic  tie  which  had  bound 
him  to  Portugal,  therefore,  being  broken,  he  determined 
to  abandon  a  country  where  he  had  been  treated  with 


24  THE    LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

so  little  faith.  Like  most  projectors,  while  engaged  in 
schemes  which  held  out  promise  of  incalculable  wealth, 
he  had  suffered  his  affairs  to  run  to  ruin,  and  was  in  dan 
ger  of  being  arrested  for  debt.  This  has  been  given  as 
the  reason  for  his  leaving  Portugal  in  a  secret  manner, 
which  he  did  towards  the  end  of  1484,  taking  with  him 
his  son  Diego,  as  yet  a  mere  child. 

An  interval  now  occurs  of  about  a  year,  during  which 
the  movements  of  Columbus  are  involved  in  uncertainty. 
It  has  been  asserted  by  a  modern  Spanish  historian  of 
merit,  that  he  departed  immediately  for  Genoa,  where 
he  repeated  in  person  the  proposition  which  he  had  for 
merly  made  to  the  government  by  letter.  The  republic 
of  Genoa,  however,  was  languishing  under  a  long  decline 
and  was  embarrassed  by  ruinous  wars.  Her  -spirit  was 
broken  with  her  fortunes;  for  with  nations,  as  with  indi 
viduals,  enterprise  is  the  child  of  prosperity,  and  is  apt 
to  languish  in  evil  days,  when  there  is  most  need  of  its 
exertion.  Thus  Genoa,  it  would  appear,  disheartened 
by  reverses,  rejected  a  proposition  which  would  have 
elevated  the  republic  to  tenfold  splendor,  and  might  for  a 
longtime  have  perpetuated  the  golden  wand  of  commerce 
in  the  failing  grasp  of  Italy. 

From  Genoa,  it  has  been  said,  but  equally  without 
positive  proof,  that  Columbus  carried  his  proposal  to 
Venice,  but  that  it  was  declined  in  consequence  of  the 
critical  state  of  national  affairs.  Different  authors  agree 
that  about  this  time  he  visited  his  aged  father,  and  made 
such  arrangements  for  his  comfort  as  his  own  poor  means 
afforded  ;  and  that,  having  thus  performed  the  duties  of  a 
pious  son,  he  departed  once  more  to  try  his  fortunes  in 
foreign  courts.  About  this  time,  also,  he  engaged  his 
brother  Bartholomew  to  sail  for  England,  to  lay  his  prop 
ositions  before  Henry  the  Seventh,  whom  he  had  heard 


FIRST   VISIT   TO  SPAIN.  2$ 

extolled  for  his  wisdom  and  munificence.  For  himself,  he 
sailed  for  Spain,  where  he  appears  to  have  arrived  in  great 
poverty,  for  this  course  of  fruitless  solicitation  had  ex 
hausted  all  his  means  ;  nor  is  it  one  of  the  least  extraor 
dinary  circumstances  in  his  eventful  life,  that  he  had,  in 
a  manner,  to  beg  his  way  from  court  to  court,  to  offer  to 
princes  the  discovery  of  a  world. 


CHAPTER  V. 

FIRST  ARRIVAL  OF  COLUMBUS   IN   SPAIN. — CHARACTER 
OF  THE   SPANISH   SOVEREIGNS. 

THE  first  trace  we  have  of  Columbus  in  Spain  is 
gathered  from  the  manuscript  documents  of  the  celebrated 
lawsuit  which  took  place  a  few  years  after  his  death, 
between  his  son,  Don  Diego,  and  the  crown.  It  is  con 
tained  in  the  deposition  of  one  Garcia  Fernandez,  a 
physician,  resident  in  the  little  seaport  of  Palos  de 
Moguer,  in  Andalusia.  About  half  a  league  from  Palos, 
on  a  solitary  height  overlooking  the  sea-coast,  and  sur 
rounded  by  a  forest  of  pine-trees,  there  stood,  and  stands 
at  the  present  day,  an  ancient  convent  of  Franciscan 
friars,  dedicated  to  Santa  Maria  de  Rabida.  A  stranger 
travelling  on  foot,  accompanied  by  a  young  boy,  stopped 
one  day  at  the  gate  of  the  convent,  and  asked  of  the 
porter  a  little  bread  and  water  for  his  child.  While 
receiving  this  humble  refreshment  the  guardian  of  the 
convent,  Friar  Juan  Perez  de  Marchena,  happening  to 
pass  by,  was  struck  with  the  appearance  of  the  stranger, 
and,  observing  from  his  air  and  accent  that  he  was  a 
foreigner,  entered  into  conversation  with  him.  That 


26  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

stranger  was  Columbus,  accompanied  by  his  young  son 
Diego.  He  was  on  his  way  to  the  neighboring  town  of 
Huelva,  to  seek  a  brother-in-law,  who  had  married  a  sister 
of  his  deceased  wife. 

The  guardian  was  an  intelligent  man,  and  acquainted 
with  geographical  and  nautical  science.  He  was  interest 
ed  by  the  conversation  of  Columbus,  and  struck  with  the 
grandeurof  his  plans.  He  detained  him  as  his  guest,  and 
being  diffident  of  his  own  judgment,  sent  for  a  scientific 
friend  to  converse  with  him.  That  friend  was  Garcia 
Fernandez,  the  physician  of  Palos,  the  same  who  fur 
nishes  this  interesting  testimony,  and  who  became  equally 
convinced  with  the  friar  of  the  correctness  of  the  theory 
of  Columbus.  Several  veteran  pilots  and  mariners  of 
Palos,  also,  were  consulted  during  the  conferences  at  the 
convent,  who  stated  various  facts  observed  in  the  course 
of  their  experience,  which  seemed  to  corroborate  the  idea 
of  western  lands  in  the  Atlantic.  But  the  conviction  of 
the  friar  was  still  more  confirmed  by  the  hearty  concur 
rence  of  an  important  personage  in  that  maritime  neigh 
borhood,  one  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  resident  of  the  town 
of  Palos,  one  of  the  most  intelligent  sea-captains  of  the 
day,  and  the  head  of  a  family  of  wealthy  and  distinguished 
navigators.  Pinzon  not  only  gave  the  project  of  Colum 
bus  his  decided  approbation,  but  offered  to  engage  in  it 
with  purse  and  person. 

Fray  Juan  Perez,  being  now  fully  persuaded  of  the 
importance  of  the  proposed  enterprise,  advised  Columbus 
to  repair  to  court,  and  make  his  propositions  to  the 
Spanish  sovereigns,  offering  to  give  him  a  letter  of  recom 
mendation  to  his  friend,  Fernando  de  Talavera,  prior  of 
the  convent  of  Prado,  and  confessor  to  the  queen,  and  a 
man  of  great  political  influence,  through  whose  means  he 
would,  no  doubt,  immediately  obtain  royal  audience  and 


GENEROSITY  OF  PINZON.  2J 

favor.  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  also,  generously  offered 
to  furnish  him  with  money  for  the  journey,  and  the  friar 
took  charge  of  his  youthful  son,  Diego,  to  maintain  and 
educate  him  in  the  convent.  Thus  aided  and  encouraged, 
and  elated  with  fresh  hopes,  Columbus  took  leave  of  the 


FERDINAND,    KING    OF    SPAIN. 
Redrawn  from  an  old  print. 

little  junto  at  La  Rabida,  and  set  out,  in  the  spring  of 
1486,  for  the  Castilian  court,  which  had  just  assembled 
at  Cordova,  where  the  sovereigns  were  fully  occupied 
with  their  chivalrous  enterprise  for  the  conquest  of  Gra 
nada.  And  here  it  is  proper  to  give  a  brief  description  of 


28  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

these  princes,  who  performed  such  an  important  part  in 
the  events  of  this  history. 

It  has  been  well  observed  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella 
that  they  lived  together,  not  like  man  and  wife,  whose 
estates  are  in  common,  under  the  orders  of  the  husband, 
but  like  two  monarchs,  strictly  allied.  They  had  sepa 
rate  claims  to  sovereignty,  in  virtue  of  their  separate 
kingdoms,  and  held  separate  councils.  Yet  they  were  so 
happily  united  by  common  views,  common  interests,  and 
a  great  deference  for  each  other,  that  this  double  admin 
istration  never  prevented  a  unity  of  purpose  and  action. 
All  acts  of  sovereignty  were  executed  in  both  their  names  ; 
all  public  writings  subscribed  with  both  their  signatures  ; 
their  likenesses  were  stamped  together  on  the  public 
coin,  and  the  royal  seal  displayed  the  united  arms  of 
Castile  and  Arragon. 

Ferdinand  possessed  a  clear  and  comprehensive  genius, 
and  great  penetration.  He  was  equable  in  temper,  inde 
fatigable  in  business,  a  great  observer  of  men,  and  is 
extolled  by  Spanish  writers  as  unparalleled  in  the  science 
of  the  cabinet.  It  has  been  maintained  by  writers  of 
other  nations,  however,  and  apparently  with  reason,  that 
he  was  bigoted  in  religion,  and  craving  rather  than  mag 
nanimous  in  his  ambition  ;  that  he  made  war  less  like  a 
paladin  than  a  prince,  less  for  glory  than  for  mere  domin 
ion,  and  that  his  policy  was  cold,  selfish,  and  artful.  He 
was  called  the  wise  and  prudent,  in  Spain  ;  in  Italy,  the 
pious  ;  in  France  and  England,  the  ambitious  and  per 
fidious. 

Contemporary  writers  have  been  enthusiastic  in  their 
descriptions  of  Isabella,  but  time  has  sanctioned  their 
eulogies.  She  was  of  the  middle  size,  and  well  formed  ; 
with  a  fair  complexion,  auburn  hair,  and  clear  blue  eyes. 
There  was  a  mingled  gravity  and  sweetness  in  her  coun- 


CHARACTER   OF  ISABELLA.  29 

tenance,  and  a  singular  modesty,  gracing,  as  it  did,  great 
firmness  of  purpose  and  earnestness  of  spirit.  Though 
strongly  attached  to  her  husband,  and  studious  of  his 
fame,  yet  she  always  maintained  her  distinct  rights  as  an 
allied  prince.  She  exceeded  him  in  beauty,  personal 
dignity,  acuteness  of  genius,  and  grandeur  of  soul.  Com 
bining  the  active  and  resolute  qualities  of  man  with  the 
softer  charities  of  woman,  she  mingled  in  the  warlike 
councils  of  her  husband,  and,  being  inspired  with  a  truer 
idea  of  glory,  infused  a  more  lofty  and  generous  temper 
into  his  subtle  and  calculating  policy. 

It  is  in  the  civil  history  of  their  reign,  however,  that 
the  character  of  Isabella  shines  most  illustrious.  Her 
fostering  and  maternal  care  was  continually  directed  to 
reform  the  laws,  and  heal  the  ills  engendered  by  a  long 
course  of  civil  wars.  She  assembled  round  her  the  ablest 
men  in  literature  and  science,  and  directed  herself  by 
their  counsels  in  encouraging  literature  and  the  arts. 
She  promoted  the  distribution  of  honors  and  rewards  for 
the  promulgation  of  knowledge,  fostered  the  recently 
invented  art  of  printing,  and  through  her  patronage  Sala 
manca  rose  to  that  eminence  which  it  assumed  among 
the  learned  institutions  of  the  age.  Such  was  the  noble 
woman  who  was  destined  to  acquire  immortal  renown  by 
her  spirited  patronage  of  the  discovery  of  the  new  world. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

PROPOSITIONS  OF  COLUMBUS  TO  THE  COURT  OF  CASTILE. 

WHEN  Columbus  arrived  at  Cordova  he  found  it  in  all 
the  bustle  of  military  preparation.     The  two  rival  Moor- 


3°  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

ish  kings  of  Granada  had  formed  a  coalition,  and  the 
Castilian  sovereigns  had  summoned  all  their  chivalry  to 
assemble  for  a  grand  campaign.  Every  day  witnessed 
the  arrival  of  some  Spanish  noble,  with  a  splendid  retinue 
and  a  brilliant  array  of  household  troops.  The  court  was 
like  a  military  camp;  every  avenue  was  crowded  by  war 
like  grandees  and  hardy  cavaliers,  who  had  distinguished 
themselves  in  this  Moorish  war.  This  was  an  unpro- 
pitious  moment  for  an  application  like  that  of  Columbus. 
Everybody  was  engrossed  by  the  opening  campaign. 
Even  Fernando  de  Talavera,  who  was  to  have  been  his 
great  patron  and  protector,  and  his  organ  of  communica 
tion  with  the  sovereigns,  was  completely  taken  up  with 
military  concerns,  being  one  of  the  clerical  advisers  who 
surrounded  the  queen  in  this,  as  it  was  termed,  holy  war. 
The  letter  of  recommendation  from  the  worthy  Fray 
Juan  Perez,  which  was  to  have  secured  the  powerful 
influence  of  Talavera,  seems  to  have  had  but  little  effect 
upon  the  prior,  who  listened  coldly  to  Columbus,  and 
looked  upon  his  plan  as  extravagant  and  impossible. 

So  far,  therefore,  from  receiving  immediate  patronage 
from  the  sovereigns,  Columbus  found  it  impossible  to 
obtain  even  a  hearing.  It  is  a  question  even,  whether, 
for  some  time,  his  application  reached  their  ears.  If 
Fernando  de  Talavera  did  mention  it  to  them,  it  must 
have  been  in  disparaging  terms,  such  as  rather  to  destroy 
than  excite  interest  in  its  favor.  The  campaign  opened 
almost  immediately  ;  the  king  took  the  field  in  person  ; 
the  queen  was  fully  occupied  by  the  hurrying  concerns 
of  the  war,  and  was  part  of  the  time  present  in  the  camp; 
it  would  have  been  in  vain,  therefore,  at  such  a  moment, 
to  expect  attention  to  a  scheme  of  foreign  discovery, 
founded  on  principles  which  required  calm  and  learned 
investigation. 


GAINING  PROSELYTES.  31 

During  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1486  Columbus 
remained  at  Cordova,  waiting  for  a  more  favorable  oppor 
tunity  to  urge  his  suit,  and  trusting  to  time  and  assiduity 
to  gain  him  converts  among  the  intelligent  and  powerful. 
He  was  in  indigent  circumstances,  and  earned  a  scanty 
support  by  making  maps  and  charts.  He  had  to  contend 
also  against  the  ridicule  of  the  light  and  the  supercilious, 
which  is  one  of  the  greatest  obstacles  to  modest  merit  in 
a  court.  Some  scoffed  at  him  as  a  mere  dreamer,  others 
stigmatized  him  as  an  adventurer;  the  very  children,  it 
is  said,  pointed  to  their  foreheads  as  he  passed,  being 
taught  to  consider  him  a  kind  of  madman.  Indeed,  the 
slender  interest  on  which  he  had  founded  his  hopes  of  royal 
patronage,  and  the  humble  garb  in  which  his  poverty 
obliged  him  to  appear,  formed  a  preposterous  contrast, 
in  the  eyes  of  the  courtiers,  with  the  magnificence  of  his 
speculations.  "  Because  he  was  a  foreigner,"  says  Oviedo, 
"  and  went  but  in  simple  apparel,  nor  otherwise  credited 
than  by  the  letter  of  a  gray  friar,  they  believed  him  not, 
neither  gave  ear  to  his  words,  whereby  he  was  greatly 
tormented  in  his  imagination." 

While  thus  lingering  in  Cordova,  he  became  attached 
to  Dofia  Beatrix  Enriquez,  a  lady  of  that  city,  of  a  noble 
family.  Like  most  of  the  circumstances  of  this  part  of 
his  life,  his  connection  with  this  lady  is  wrapped  in  ob 
scurity,  but  appears  never  to  have  been  sanctioned  by 
marriage.  She  was  the  mother  of  his  second  son  Fer 
nando,  who  became  his  historian,  and  whom  he  always 
treated  on  terms  of  perfect  equality  with  his  legitimate 
son  Diego. 

By  degrees,  the  theory  of  Columbus  began  to  obtain 
proselytes.  The  attention  of  men  of  reflection  was  drawn 
to  this  solitary  individual,  who,  almost  unsupported,  was 
endeavoring  to  make  his  way,  with  so  singular  a  proposi- 


32  THE   LIFE   OF   COLUMBUS. 

tion,  to  the  foot  of  the  throne.  Whoever  conversed  with 
him  was  struck  by  the  dignity  of  his  manners,  the  earnest 
sincerity  of  his  discourse,  and  the  force  of  his  reasoning. 
Alonzo  de  Quintanilla,  comptroller  of  the  finances  of 
Castile,  became  a  warm  advocate  of  his  theory,  and  re 
ceived  him  as  a  guest  into  his  house.  He  was  counte 
nanced  also  by  Antonio  Geraldini,  the  pope's  nuncio, 
and  his  brother,  Alexander  Geraldini,  preceptor  to  the 
younger  children  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  By  these 
friends  he  was  introduced  to  the  celebrated  Pedro  Gon 
zalez  de  Mendoza,  archbishop  of  Toledo,  and  grand  cardi 
nal  of  Spain.  This  was  the  most  important  personage 
about  the  court ;  he  was  always  with  the  king  and  queen, 
who  never  took  any  measure  of  consequence  without  con 
sulting  him,  and  was  facetiously  called  the  third  king 
of  Spain.  He  was  an  elegant  scholar,  a  man  of  sound 
understanding,  and  of  great  quickness  and  capacity  in 
business.  The  clear-headed  cardinal  was  pleased  with 
the  noble  and  earnest  manner  of  Columbus  ;  he  listened 
to  him  with  profound  attention,  felt  the  importance 
of  his  project  and  the  force  of  his  arguments,  and  be 
came  at  once  a  firm  and  serviceable  friend.  Through 
his  intercession  the  royal  audience  was  at  length  ob 
tained. 

Columbus  appeared  in  the  presence  of  the  king  with 
modesty,  yet  self-possession,  inspired  by  a  consciousness 
of  the  dignity  and  importance  of  his  errand  ;  for  he  felt 
himself,  as  he  afterwards  declared  in  his  letters,  animated 
as  if  by  a  sacred  fire  from  above,  and  considered  himself 
an  instrument  in  the  hand  of  heaven  to  accomplish  its 
grand  designs.  Ferdinand  was  too  keen  a  judge  of  men 
not  to  appreciate  the  character  of  Columbus.  He  per 
ceived,  also,  that  his  scheme  had  scientific  and  practical 
foundations  ;  and  his  ambition  was  excited  by  the  possi- 


THE   COUNCIL  AT  SALAMANCA.  33 

bility  of  discoveries  far  exceeding  in  importance  those 
which  had  shed  such  glory  upon  Portugal.  Still,  as 
usual,  he  was  cool  and  wary.  He  ordered  Fernando  de 
Talavera,  the  prior  of  Prado,  to  assemble  the  most  learned 
astronomers  and  cosmographers  of  the  kingdom,  to  hold 
a  conference  with  Columbus.  They  were  to  examine  him 
upon  the  grounds  of  his  theory,  and  afterwards  to  con 
sult  together,  and  report  their  opinion  as  to  its  merits. 
Columbus  now  considered  the  day  of  success  at  hand  ;  he 
had  been  deceived  by  courtiers,  and  scoffed  at  as  a  vis 
ionary  by  the  vulgar  and  the  ignorant ;  but  he  was  now 
to  appear  before  a  body  of  the  most  learned  and  enlight 
ened  men,  elevated,  as  he  supposed,  above  all  narrow 
prejudice  and  selfish  interest,  and  capable  of  comprehend 
ing  the  full  scope  of  his  reasonings.  From  the  dispas 
sionate  examination  of  such  a  body  of  sages  he  could 
not  but  anticipate  the  most  triumphant  verdict. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

COLUMBUS  BEFORE   THE   COUNCIL  AT   SALAMANCA. 

THE  interesting  conference  took  place  at  Salamanca, 
the  great  seat  of  learning  in  Spain.  It  was  held  in  the 
Dominican  convent  of  St.  Stephen,  the  most  scientific 
college  in  the  university,  in  which  Columbus  was  lodged 
and  entertained  with  great  hospitality  during  the  course 
of  the  examination.  The  board  of  conference  was  com 
posed  of  professors  of  the  university,  together  with  vari 
ous  dignitaries  of  the  church,  and  learned  friars.  No 
tribunal  could  bear  a  front  of  more  imposing  wisdom  ; 
yet  Columbus  soon  discovered  that  ignorance  and  illib- 
3 


34  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

crality  may  sometimes  lurk  under  the  very  robes  of 
science. 

The  greater  part  of  this  learned  junto,  it  would  appear, 
came  prepossessed  against  him,  as  men  in  place  and  dig 
nity  are  apt  to  be  against  poor  applicants.  There  is  al 
ways  a  pronencss  to  consider  a  man  under  examination 
as  a  kind  of  delinquent  or  impostor  upon  trial,  who  is  to 
be  detected  and  exposed.  Columbus,  too,  appeared  in  a 
most  unfavorable  light  before  a  scholastic  body  ;  an  ob 
scure  navigator,  member  of  no  learned  institution,  desti 
tute  of  all  the  trappings  and  circumstances  which  some 
times  give  oracular  authority  to  dullness,  and  depending 
upon  the  mere  force  of  natural  genius.  Some  of  the 
assembly  entertained  the  popular  notion  that  he  was  an 
adventurer,  or  at  best  a  visionary  ;  and  others  had  that 
morbid  impatience  of  any  innovation  upon  established 
doctrine  which  is  apt  to  grow  upon  dull  and  pedantic 
men  in  cloistered  life.  The  hall  of  the  old  convent  pre 
sented  a  striking  spectacle.  A  simple  mariner  standing 
forth  in  the  midst  of  an  imposing  array  of  clerical  and 
collegiate  sages,  maintaining  his  theory  with  natural  elo 
quence,  and,  as  it  were,  pleading  the  cause  of  the  new 
world.  We  are  told  that  when  he  began  to  state  the 
grounds  of  his  theory,  the  friars  of  St.  Stephen  alone 
paid  attention  to  him.  The  others  appeared  to  have  in 
trenched  themselves  behind  one  dogged  position,  namely, 
that,  after  so  many  profound  philosophers  had  occupied 
themselves  in  geographical  investigations,  and  so  many 
able  navigators  had  been  voyaging  about  the  world  for 
ages,  it  was  a  great  presumption  in  an  ordinary  man  to 
suppose  that  there  remained  such  a  vast  discovery  for  him 
to  make. 

Several  of  the  objections  opposed  by  this  learned  body 
have  been  handed  down  to  us,  and  have  provoked  many 


OBJECTIONS   OF    THE   COUNCIL.  35 

a  sneer  at  the  expense  of  the  university  of  Salamanca ; 
but  they  are  proofs  rather  of  the  imperfect  state  of  sci 
ence  at  the  time,  and  of  the  manner  in  which  knowledge, 
though  rapidly  advancing,  was  still  impeded  in  its  prog 
ress  by  monastic  bigotry.  Thus,  at  the  very  threshold 
of  the  discussion,  Columbus  was  assailed  with  citations 
from  the  Bible  and  the  works  of  the  early  fathers  of  the 
church,  which  were  thought  incompatible  with  his  theory; 
doctrinal  points  were  mixed  up  with  philosophical  dis 
cussions,  and  even  a  mathematical  demonstration  was 
allowed  no  truth  if  it  appeared  to  clash  with  a  text  of 
Scripture  or  a  commentary  of  one  of  the  fathers.  Thus 
the  possibility  of  the  existence  of  antipodes  in  the  south 
ern  hemisphere,  though  maintained  by  the  wisest  of  the 
ancients,  was  disputed  by  some  of  the  sages  of  Salamanca 
on  the  authority  of  Lactantius  and  St.  Augustine,  those 
two  great  luminaries  of  what  has  been  called  the  golden 
age  of  ecclesiastical  learning.  "  Is  there  any  one  so  fool 
ish,"  asks  Lactantius,  "  as  to  believe  that  there  are  an 
tipodes  with  their  feet  opposite  to  ours  ;  people  who 
walk  with  their  heels  upward  and  their  heads  hanging 
down?  That  there  is  a  part  of  the  world  in  which  all 
things  are  topsy-turvy ;  where  the  trees  grow  with  their 
branches  downward,  and  where  it  rains,  hails,  and  snows 
upwards?  The  idea  of  the  roundness  of  the  earth,"  he 
adds,  "  was  the  cause  of  inventing  this  fable  ;  for  these 
philosophers,  having  once  erred,  go  on  in  their  absurdi 
ties,  defending  one  with  another." 

Objections  of  a  graver  nature  and  more  dignified  tone 
were  advanced  on  the  authority  of  St.  Augustine.  He 
pronounces  the  doctrine  of  antipodes  incompatible  with 
the  historical  foundations  of  our  faith  ;  since,  to  assert 
that  there  were  inhabited  lands  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  globe  would  be  to  maintain  that  there  were  nations 


3  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

not  descended  from  Adam,  it  being  impossible  for  them 
to  have  passed  the  intervening  ocean.  This  would  be, 
therefore,  to  discredit  the  Bible,  which  expressly  de 
clares  that  all  men  are  descended  from  one  common 
parent. 

Such  were  the  unlooked-for  prejudices  which  Colum 
bus  had  to  encounter  at  the  very  outset  of  his  confer 
ence,  and  which  certainly  savor  more  of  the  convent  than 
the  university.  To  his  simplest  proposition,  the  spherical 
form  of  the  earth,  were  opposed  figurative  texts  of  Script 
ure.  In  the  Psalms,  the  heavens  are  said  to  be  extended 
over  the  earth  like  a  hide,  that  is  to  say,  like  the  covering 
of  a  tent,  which,  among  the  ancient  pastoral  nations,  was 
formed  of  the  hides  of  animals.  St.  Paul,  also,  in  his 
epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  compares  the  heavens  to  a  taber 
nacle  or  tent  spread  over  the  earth  ;  hence  these  casuists 
maintained  that  the  earth  must  be  flat,  like  the  bottom 
of  the  tent.  Others  admitted  the  globular  form  of  the 
earth,  and  the  possibility  of  an  opposite  and  inhabitable 
hemisphere,  but  maintained  that  it  would  be  impossible 
to  arrive  there,  in  consequence  of  the  heat  of  the  torrid 
zone.  As  for  steering  to  the  west  in  search  of  India,  they 
observed  that  the  circumference  of  the  earth  must  be  so 
great  as  to  require  at  least  three  years  to  the  voyage,  and 
those  who  should  undertake  it  must  perish  of  hunger  and 
thirst,  from  the  impossibility  of  carrying  provisions  for  so 
long  a  period.  Not  the  least  absurd  objection  advanced 
was,  that  should  a  ship  even  succeed  in  reaching  the  ex 
tremity  of  India,  she  could  never  get  back  again,  for  the 
rotundity  of  the  globe  would  present  a  kind  of  moun 
tain,  up  which  it  would  be  impossible  for  her  to  sail  with 
the  most  favorable  wind. 

Such  are  specimens  of  the  errors  and  prejudices,  the 
mingled  error  and  erudition,  with  which  Columbus  had 


UNDAUNTED  BY   THE   COUNCIL.  37 

to  contend,  throughout  the  examination  of  his  theory. 
Many  of  these  objections,  however,  which  appear  so  glar 
ingly  absurd  at  the  present  day,  were  incident  to  the  im 
perfect  state  of  knowledge  at  the  time.  The  rotundity 
of  the  earth  was  as  yet  a  matter  of  mere  speculation  ;  no 
one  could  tell  whether  the  ocean  were  not  of  too  vast 
extent  to  be  traversed  ;  nor  were  the  laws  of  specific 
gravity,  and  of  central  gravitation,  ascertained,  by  which, 
granting  the  earth  to  be  a  sphere,  the  possibility  of  mak 
ing  the  tour  of  it  would  be  manifest. 

When  Columbus  took  his  stand  before  this  learned 
body,  he  had  appeared  the  plain  and  simple  navigator, 
somewhat  daunted,  perhaps,  by  the  greatness  of  his  task 
and  the  august  nature  of  his  auditory  ;  but  he  had  a  degree 
of  religious  feeling  which  gave  him  a  confidence  in  the 
execution  of  what  he  conceived  his  great  errand,  and  he 
was  of  an  ardent  temperament,  that  became  heated  in 
action  by  its  own  generous  fires.  All  the  objections 
drawn  from  ancient  philosophers  he  met  boldly  and 
upon  equal  terms,  for  he  was  deeply  studied  on  all  points 
of  cosmography,  and  he  disproved  many  by  his  own  ex 
perience,  gathered  in  the  course  of  his  extensive  voyages, 
in  which  he  had  penetrated  both  the  torrid  and  the  frozen 
zone.  Nor  was  he  to  be  daunted  by  the  scriptural  diffi 
culties  opposed  to  him,  for  here  he  was  peculiarly  at 
home.  His  contemporaries  have  spoken  of  his  command 
ing  person,  his  elevated  demeanor,  his  air  of  authority, 
his  kindling  eye,  and  the  persuasive  intonations  of  his 
voice.  How  must  they  have  given  majesty  and  force  to 
his  words,  as,  casting  aside  his  maps  and  charts,  and  dis 
carding,  for  a  time,  his  practical  and  scientific  lore,  his 
visionary  spirit  took  fire,  and  he  met  his  doctrinal  oppo 
nents  upon  their  own  ground,  pouring  forth  those  magnifi 
cent  texts  of  Scripture  and  those  mysterious  predictions 


38  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

of  the  prophets  which,  in  his  enthusiastic  moments,  he 
considered  as  types  and  annunciations  of  the  sublime 
discovery  which  he  proposed! 

It  is  but  justice  to  add,  that  many  of  his  learned  hearers 
were  convinced  by  his  reasoning  and  warmed  by  his  elo 
quence  ;  among  the  number  of  these  was  Diego  de  Deza, 
a  worthy  friar  of  the  order  of  St.  Dominic,  at  that  time 
professor  of  theology  in  the  convent  of  St.  Stephen,  but 
who  became  afterwards  archbishop  of  Seville,  the  second 
ecclesiastical  dignity  of  Spain.  He  was  an  able  and  eru 
dite  man,  above  the  narrow  bigotry  of  bookish  lore,  and 
could  appreciate  the  value  of  wisdom,  even  when  uttered 
by  unlearned  lips.  He  seconded  Columbus  with  all  his 
powers  and  influence,  and  by  their  united  efforts  they 
brought  over  several  of  the  most  intelligent  men  of  the 
assembly.  Still  there  was  a  preponderating  mass  of  inert 
bigotry  and  learned  pride  in  the  erudite  body,  which  re 
fused  to  yield  to  the  demonstrations  of  an  obscure  for 
eigner,  without  fortune  or  connections,  or  any  academic 
honors.  After  this  celebrated  examination  of  Colum 
bus  the  board  held  occasional  conferences,  but  without 
coming  to  any  decision  ;  Fernando  de  Talavera,  to  whom 
the  matter  was  especially  intrusted,  had  too  little  esteem 
for  it,  and  was  too  much  occupied  by  the  stir  and  bustle 
of  public  concerns,  to  press  it  to  a  conclusion  ;  his  de 
parture  with  the  court  from  Cordova,  early  in  the  spring 
of  1487,  put  an  end  to  the  consultations,  and  left  Colum 
bus  in  a  state  of  the  most  tantalizing  suspense. 

For  several  years  he  followed  the  movements  of  the 
court,  continually  flattered  with  hopes  of  success.  Con 
ferences  were  appointed  at  various  places,  but  the  tem 
pest  of  warlike  affairs,  which  hurried  the  court  from  place 
to  place,  and  gave  it  the  bustle  and  confusion  of  a  camp, 
continually  swept  away  all  matters  of  less  immediate 


FIGHTING  AGAINST   THE  MOSLEMS.  39 

importance.  It  has  generally  been  supposed  that  these 
years  of  irksome  solicitation  were  spent  by  Columbus  in 
the  drowsy  attendance  of  antechambers  ;  but,  on  the  con 
trary,  they  were  passed  amidst  scenes  of  peril  and  advent 
ure,  and  in  following  the  court  he  was  led  into  some  of 
the  most  striking  situations  of  this  wild,  rugged,  and 
mountainous  war.  In  one  of  the  severest  campaigns  he 
is  said  to  have  distinguished  himself  by  his  personal 
prowess.  He  was  present  at  the  sieges  and  surrenders 
of  Malaga  and  Baza,  and  beheld  El  Zagal,  the  elder  of 
the  two  rival  kings  of  Granada,  yield  up  his  crown  and 
possessions  to  the  Spanish  sovereigns.  During  the  siege 
of  Baza  two  reverend  friars,  guardians  of  the  holy  sepul 
chre  at  Jerusalem,  arrived  in  the  Spanish  camp  bearing  a 
menace  from  the  Grand  Soldan  of  Egypt,  that  he  would 
put  to  death  all  the  Christians  in  his  dominions  and 
destroy  the  sepulchre  if  the  sovereigns  did  not  desist 
from  the  war  against  the  Moslems  of  Granada.  It  is 
probable  that  the  pious  indignation  excited  by  this 
threat  in  the  bosom  of  Columbus  gave  the  first  rise  to  a 
resolution  which  he  entertained  to  the  day  of  his  death: 
this  was  to  devote  the  profits  which  he  anticipated  from 
his  discoveries  to  a  crusade  for  the  rescue  of  the  holy 
sepulchre. 

During  this  long  course  of  application  Columbus  partly 
defrayed  his  expenses  by  making  maps  and  charts.  He 
was  occasionally  assisted,  also,  by  the  purse  of  the  worthy 
friar  Diego  de  Deza,  and  was  sometimes  a  guest  of  Alonzo 
de  Quintanilla.  It  is  due  to  the  sovereigns  to  say,  also, 
that  he  was  attached  to  the  royal  suite,  and  sums  issued 
to  defray  his  expenses,  and  lodgings  provided  for  him 
when  summoned  to  follow  this  rambling  and  warlike 
court.  Whenever  the  sovereigns  had  an  interval  of  lei 
sure  there  seems  to  have  been  a  disposition  to  attend  to 


4O  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

his  proposition  ;  but  the  hurry  and  tempest  of  the  war 
returned,  and  the  question  was  again  swept  away. 

At  length,  in  the  winter  of  1491,  when  the  sovereigns 
were  preparing  to  depart  on  their  final  campaign  in  the 
vega  of  Granada,  Columbus,  losing  all  patience,  pressed 
for  a  decisive  reply,  and  Fernando  de  Talavera  was 
ordered,  therefore,  to  hold  a  final  conference,  and  to 
report  the  decision  of  his  learned  brethren.  He  obeyed, 
and  informed  their  majesties  that  the  majority  of  the 
junto  condemned  the  scheme  as  vain  and  impossible,  and 
considered  it  unbecoming  such  great  princes  to  engage  in 
an  undertaking  of  the  kind  on  such  weak  grounds  as  had 
been  advanced. 

A  degree  of  consideration,  however,  had  gradually 
grown  up  at  court  for  the  enterprise,  and  notwithstand 
ing  this  unfavorable  report,  the  sovereigns  were  unwilling 
to  close  the  door  on  a  project  which  might  be  of  such  im 
portant  advantages.  They  informed  Columbus,  therefore, 
that  the  great  cares  and  expenses  of  the  war  rendered  it 
impossible  for  them  to  engage  in  any  new  enterprises  for 
the  present ;  but  that,  when  the  war  should  be  concluded, 
they  would  have  leisure  and  inclination  to  treat  with  him 
concerning  his  propositions. 

This  was  but  a  starved  reply  to  receive  after  so  many 
years  of  weary  attendance.  Columbus  considered  it  a 
mere  evasion  of  the  sovereigns  to  relieve  themselves 
from  his  importunity,  and,  giving  up  all  hope  of  counte 
nance  from  the  throne,  he  turned  his  back  upon  Seville, 
filled  with  disappointment  and  indignation. 


APPEALS    TO   SPANISH  GRANDEES. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

COLUMBUS  SEEKS  PATRONAGE  AMONGST  THE  SPANISH 
GRANDEES. — RETURNS  TO  THE  CONVENT  OF  LA 
RABIDA.— RESUMES  HIS  NEGOTIATIONS  WITH  THE 
SOVEREIGNS.  [1491.] 

COLUMBUS  now  looked  round  in  search  of  some  other 
source  of  patronage.  He  had  received  favorable  letters 
both  from  the  kings  of  England  and  of  France;  the  king 
of  Portugal,  also,  had  invited  him  to  return  to  his  court ; 
but  he  appears  to  have  become  attached  to  Spain,  proba 
bly  from  its  being  the  residence  of  Beatrix  Enriquez 
and  his  children.  He  sought,  therefore,  to  engage  the 
patronage  of  some  one  of  those  powerful  Spanish  gran 
dees,  who  had  vast  possessions,  exercised  feudal  rights,  and 
were  petty  sovereigns  in  their  domains.  Among  these 
were  the  dukes  of  Medina  Sidonia  and  Medina  Celi ; 
both  had  principalities  lying  along  the  seaboard,  with 
armies  of  vassals,  and  ports  and  shipping  at  their  com 
mand.  Columbus  had  many  interviews  with  the  duke 
of  Medina  Sidonia,  who  was  tempted  for  a  time  by  the 
splendid  prospects  held  out  ;  but  their  very  splendor 
threw  a  coloring  of  exaggeration  over  the  enterprise, 
and  he  finally  rejected  it  as  the  dream  of  an  Italian 
visionary. 

The  duke  of  Medina  Celi  was  still  more  favorable,  and 
was  actually  on  the  point  of  granting  him  three  or  four 
caravels  which  lay  ready  for  sea,  in  his  harbor  of  Port 
St.  Mary  ;  but  he  suddenly  changed  his  mind,  fearing  to 
awaken  the  jealousy  of  the  crown,  and  to  be  considered 
as  interfering  with  the  views  of  the  sovereigns,  who  he 


42  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

knew  had  been  treating  with  Columbus.  He  advised 
him,  therefore,  to  return  once  more  to  court,  and  he 
wrote  a  letter  to  the  queen  in  favor  of  his  project. 

Columbus  felt  averse  to  the  idea  of  subjecting  himself 
again  to  the  tantalizing  delays  and  disappointments  of  the 
court,  and  determined  to  repair  to  Paris.  He  departed, 
therefore,  for  the  convent  of  La  Rabida,  to  seek  his  oldest 
son  Diego,  and  leave  him  with  his  other  son  at  Cordova. 

When  the  worthy  Friar  Juan  Perez  de  Marchena 
beheld  Columbus  arrive  once  more  at  the  gate  of  his 
convent,  after  nearly  seven  years'  fruitless  solicitation  at 
the  court,  and  saw,  by  the  humility  of  his  garb,  the  pov 
erty  he  had  experienced,  he  was  greatly  moved  ;  but 
when  he  found  that  he  was  on  the  point  of  leaving  Spain, 
and  carrying  his  proposition  to  another  country,  his 
patriotism  took  the  alarm.  He  had  been  confessor  to  the 
queen,  and  knew  her  to  be  always  accessible  to  persons 
of  his  sacred  calling.  He  wrote  a  letter  to  her,  therefore, 
earnestly  vindicating  the  proposed  scheme,  and  conjuring 
her  not  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  a  matter  of  such  vast  impor 
tance  ;  and  he  prevailed  upon  Columbus  to  delay  his 
journey  until  an  answer  should  be  received. 

The  ambassador  chosen  by  the  little  junto  of  the  con 
vent  was  one  Sebastian  Rodriguez,  a  pilot  of  Lepe,  who 
acquitted  himself  faithfully,  expeditiously,  and  success 
fully  in  his  embassy.  He  found  access  to  the  benignant 
princess  in  the  royal  camp  at  Santa  Fe,  before  Granada, 
and  delivered  the  epistle  of  the  friar.  He  returned  in 
fourteen  days,  with  a  letter  from  the  queen,  tlunking 
Juan  Perez  for  his  timely  services,  and  requesting  him 
to  repair  immediately  to  the  court,  leaving  Columbus  in 
confident  hope  of  hearing  farther  from  her.  This  royal 
epistle  caused  great  exultation  in  the  convent.  No  sooner 
did  the  warm-hearted  friar  receive  it  than  he  procured  a 


JUAN  PEREZ  PLEADS  FOR    COLUMBUS. 


43 


mule,  and  departed  instantly,  before  midnight,  for  the 
court.  His  sacred  office,  and  his  former  relation  as 
father  confessor,  gave  him  immediate  admission  to  the 
queen,  and  great  freedom  of  counsel.  It  is  probable 
Isabella  had  never  heard  the  proposition  of  Columbus 


ISABELLA,    QUEEN   OF   SPAIN. 
Redrawn  front  an   Old  Print. 

urged  with  such  honest  zeal  and  impressive  eloquence. 
She  was  naturally  more  sanguine  and  susceptible  than 
the  king,  and  more  open  to  warm  and  generous  impulses. 
Moved  by  the  representations  of  Juan  Perez,  she  re 
quested  that  Columbus  might  be  again  sent  to  her,  and 
kindly  bethinking  herself  of  his  poverty  and  his  humble 


44  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

plight,  ordered  that  a  sufficient  sum  of  money  should  be 
forwarded  to  him  to  defray  his  travelling  expenses,  to 
provide  him  with  a  mule  for  his  journey,  and  to  furnish 
him  with  decent  raiment,  that  he  might  make  a  respect 
able  appearance  at  the  court.  Columbus  lost  no  time  in 
complying  with  the  commands  of  the  queen.  He  ex 
changed  his  threadbare  garment  for  one  of  more  courtly 
texture,  and,  purchasing  a  mule,  set  out  once  more,  reani 
mated  by  fresh  hopes,  for  the  camp  before  Granada. 

He  arrived  in  time  to  witness  the  memorable  surrender 
of  that  capital  to  the  Spanish  arms.  He  beheld  Boabdil 
el  Chico,  the  last  of  the  Moorish  kings,  sally  forth  from 
the  Alhambra  and  yield  up  the  keys  of  that  favorite  scat 
of  Moslem  power,  while  the  king  and  queen,  with  all  the 
chivalry  and  magnificence  of  Spain,  moved  forward  in 
proud  and  solemn  procession  to  receive  this  token  of 
submission.  It  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  triumphs  in 
Spanish  history.  The  air  resounded  with  shouts  of  joy, 
with  songs  of  triumph  and  hymns  of  thanksgiving.  On 
every  side  were  beheld  military  rejoicings  and  religious 
oblations.  The  court  was  thronged  by  the  most  illustri 
ous  of  that  warlike  country  and  stirring  era,  by  the  flower 
of  its  nobility,  the  most  dignified  of  its  prelacy,  by  bards 
and  minstrels,  and  all  the  retinue  of  a  romantic  and  pict 
uresque  age. 

During  this  brilliant  and  triumphant  scene,  says  an 
elegant  Spanish  writer,  "  a  man  obscure  and  but  little 
known  followed  the  court.  Confounded  in  the  crowd  of 
importunate  applicants,  and  feeding  his  imagination  in 
the  corners  of  antechambers  with  the  pompous  project  of 
discovering  a  world,  he  was  melancholy  and  dejected  in 
the  midst  of  the  general  rejoicing,  and  beheld  with  indif 
ference,  almost  with  contempt,  the  conclusion  of  a  con 
quest  which  swelled  all  bosoms  with  jubilee,  and  seemed 


NEGOTIATIONS    WITH   THE   COURT.  45 

to  have  reached  the  utmost  bounds  of  desire.  That  man 
was  Christopher  Columbus." 

The  moment  had  now  arrived,  however,  when  the  mon- 
archs  stood  pledged  to  attend  to  his  proposals.  They 
kept  their  word,  and  persons  of  confidence  were  ap 
pointed  to  negotiate  with  him,  among  whom  was  Fer 
nando  de  Talavera,  who  by  the  recent  conquest  had  risen 
to  be  archbishop  of  Granada.  At  the  very  outset  of  their 
negotiation,  however,  unexpected  difficulties  arose.  The 
principal  stipulation  of  Columbus  was  that  he  should  be 
invested  with  the  titles  and  privileges  of  admiral  and  vice 
roy  over  the  countries  he  should  discover,  with  one-tenth 
of  all  gains  either  by  trade  or  conquest.  The  courtiers 
who  treated  with  him  were  indignant  at  such  a  demand 
from  one  whom  they  had  considered  a  needy  adventurer. 
One  observed,  v/ith  a  sneer,  that  it  was  a  shrewd  arrange 
ment  which  he  proposed,  whereby  he  was  certain  of  the 
profits  and  honors  of  a  command,  and  had  nothing  to  lose 
in  case  of  failure.  To  this  Columbus  promptly  replied  by 
offering  to  furnish  one-eighth  of  the  cost  on  condition  of 
enjoying  an  eighth  of  the  profits.  His  terms,  however, 
were  pronounced  inadmissible,  and  others  were  offered 
of  more  moderate  nature ;  but  he  refused  to  cede  one 
point  of  his  demands,  and  the  negotiation  was  broken  off. 

It  is  impossible  not  to  admire  the  great  constancy  of 
purpose  and  loftiness  of  spirit  here  displayed  by  Colum 
bus.  Though  so  large  a  portion  of  life  had  worn  away  in 
fruitless  solicitings,  during  which  he  had  experienced  the 
bitterness  of  poverty,  neglect,  ridicule,  and  disappoint 
ment  ;  though  there  was  no  certainty  that  he  would  not 
have  to  enter  upon  the  same  career  at  any  other  court, 
yet  nothing  could  shake  his  perseverance,  or  make  him 
descend  to  terms  which  he  considered  beneath  the  dig 
nity  of  his  enterprise.  Indignant  at  the  repeated  disap- 


4"  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

pointments  he  had  experienced  in  Spain,  he  now  deter- 
mined  to  abandon  it  forever,  and,  mounting  his  mule, 
sallied  forth  from  Santa  Fe  on  his  way  to  Cordova,  with 
the  intention  of  immediately  proceeding  from  thence  to 
France. 

When  the  few  friends  who  were  zealous  believers  in  the 
theory  of  Columbus  saw  him  on  the  point  of  abandoning 
the  country,  they  were  filled  with  distress.  Among  the 
number  was  Luis  de  St.  Angel,  receiver  of  the  ecclesiasti 
cal  revenues  of  Arragon,  and  Alonzo  de  Quintanilla,  who 
determined  to  make  one  bold  effort  to  avert  the  evil. 
They  hastened  to  the  queen,  and  St.  Angel  addressed  her 
with  a  courage  and  eloquence  inspired  by  the  exigency  of 
the  moment.  He  did  not  confine  himself  to  entreaties,  but 
almost  mingled  reproaches.  He  expressed  his  astonish 
ment  that  a  queen  who  had  evinced  the  spirit  to  under 
take  so  many  great  and  perilous  enterprises  should  hesitate 
at  one  where  the  loss  could  be  but  trifling,  while  the  gain 
might  be  incalculable,  for  all  that  was  required  for  this 
great  expedition  was  but  two  vessels  and  about  thirty 
thousand  crowns,  and  Columbus  himself  had  offered  to 
bear  an  eighth  of  the  expense.  He  reminded  her  how 
much  might  be  clone  for  the  glory  of  Gocl,  the  promotion 
of  the  Christian  faith,  and  the  extension  of  her  own  power 
and  dominion  should  this  enterprise  be  adopted,  but  what 
cause  of  regret  it  would  be  to  herself,  of  sorrow  to  her 
friends,  and  triumph  to  her  enemies,  should  it  be  rejected 
by  her  and  accomplished  by  some  other  power.  He  vin 
dicated  the  judgment  of  Columbus  and  the  soundness  and 
practicability  of  his  plans,  and  observed  that  even  a  fail 
ure  would  reflect  no  disgrace  upon  the  crown.  It  was 
worth  the  trouble  and  expense  to  clear  up  even  a  doubt 
upon  a  matter  of  such  importance,  for  it  belonged  to  en 
lightened  and  magnanimous  princes  to  investigate  ques- 


CONSENT  OF  ISABELLA.  47 

tions  of  the  kind  and  to  explore  the  wonders  and  secrets 
of  the  universe. 

These,  and  many  more  arguments,  were  urged,  with 
that  persuasive  power  which  honest  zeal  imparts.  The 
generous  spirit  of  Isabella  was  enkindled,  and  it  seemed 
as  if  the  subject,  for  the  first  time,  broke  upon  her  mind 
in  its  real  grandeur.  She  declared  her  resolution  to  un 
dertake  the  enterprise,  but  paused  for  a  moment,  remem 
bering  that  King  Ferdinand  looked  coldly  on  the  affair, 
and  that  the  royal  treasury  was  absolutely  drained  by  the 
war.  Her  suspense  was  but  momentary.  With  an  enthu 
siasm  worthy  of  herself  and  of  the  cause,  she  exclaimed, 
"  I  undertake  the  enterprise  for  my  own  crown  of  Castile, 
and  will  pledge  my  jewels  to  raise  the  necessary  funds." 
This  was  the  proudest  moment  in  the  life  of  Isabella  ;  it 
stamped  her  renown  forever  as  the  patroness  of  the  dis 
covery  of  the  New  World. 

St.  Angel,  eager  to  secure  this  favorable  resolution, 
assured  her  majesty  that  there  would  be  no  need  of 
pledging  her  jewels,  as  he  was  ready  to  advance  the 
necessary  funds,  as  a  loan,  from  the  treasury  of  Arragon  ; 
his  offer  was  gladly  accepted. 

Columbus  had  proceeded  on  his  solitary  journey  across 
the  vega  of  Granada,  and  had  reached  the  bridge  of  Pinos, 
about  two  leagues  from  that  city,  a  pass  famous  for  bloody 
encounters  during  the  Moorish  wars.  Here  he  was  over 
taken  by  a  courier  sent  after  him  in  all  speed  by  the 
queen,  requesting  him  to  return  to  Santa  Fe.  He  hesi 
tated,  for  a  moment,  to  subject  himself  again  to  the  de 
lays  and  equivocations  of  the  court  ;  but  when  he  was 
informed  that  Isabella  had  positively  undertaken  the  en 
terprise,  and  pledged  her  royal  word,  every  doubt  was 
dispelled,  he  turned  the  reins  of  his  mule,  and  hastened 
back  joyfully  to  Santa  F£,  confiding  implicitly  in  the 
noble  probity  of  that  princess. 


4-8  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

ARRANGEMENT  WITH  THE  SPANISH  SOVEREIGNS.— PREP 
ARATION  FOR  THE  EXPEDITION  AT  THE  PORT  OF 
PALOS.  [1492.] 

ON  arriving  at  Santa  F£,  Columbus  had  an  immediate 
audience  of  the  queen,  and  the  benignity  with  which 
she  received  him  atoned  for  all  past  neglect.  Through 
deference  to  the  zeal  she  thus  suddenly  displayed,  the 
king  yielded  his  tardy  concurrence,  but  Isabella  was  the 
soul  of  this  grand  enterprise.  She  was  prompted  by  lofty 
and  generous  enthusiasm,  while  the  king  remained  cold 
and  calculating,  in  this  as  in  all  his  other  undertakings. 

A  perfect  understanding  being  thus  effected  with  the 
sovereigns,  articles  of  agreement  were  drawn  out  by  Juan 
de  Coloma,  the  royal  secretary.  They  were  to  the  follow 
ing  effect  : 

1.  That  Columbus  should  have,  for  himself,  during  his 
life,  and  his  heirs   and    successors  forever,  the  office  of 
high   admiral    in  all  the  seas,  lands,  and    continents  he 
might  discover,  with  similar  honors   and  prerogatives  to 
those  enjoyed  by  the  high  admiral  of  Castile  in   his  dis 
trict. 

2.  That    he    should    be  viceroy  and    governor-general 
over  all  the  said  lands  and  continents,  with   the  privilege 
of  nominating  three    candidates  for  the  government  of 
each  island  or  province,  one  of  whom  should  be  selected 
by  the  sovereigns. 

3.  That  he  should   be  entitled  to  one-tenth  of  all  free 
profits,  arising  from   the  merchandise  and  productions  of 
the  countries  within  his  admiralty. 


SIGNING   THE   CAPITULATION.  49 

4.  That  he,  or  his  lieutenant,  should  be  the  sole  judge 
of  causes  and  disputes  arising  out  of  traffic  between  those 
countries  and  Spain. 

5.  That  he  might  then,  and  at  all  after  times,  contrib 
ute  an  eighth  part  of  the  expense  of   expeditions  to  sail 
to  the  countries  he  expected  to  discover,  and  should  re 
ceive  in  consequence  an  eighth  part  of  the  profits. 

These  capitulations  were  signed  by  Ferdinand  and  Isa 
bella,  at  the  city  of  Santa  F£,  in  the  vega  or  plain  of 
Granada,  on  the  i/th  of  April,  1492.  All  the  royal  docu 
ments  issued  in  consequence  bore  equally  the  signatures 
of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  but  her  separate  crown  of 
Castile  defrayed  all  the  expense.  As  to  the  money 
advanced  by  St.  Angel  out  of  the  treasury  of  King  Fer 
dinand,  that  prudent  monarch  indemnified  himself,  some 
few  years  afterwards,  by  employing  some  of  the  first 
gold  brought  by  Columbus  from  the  new  world  to  gild 
the  vaults  and  ceilings  of  the  grand  saloon  in  his  royal 
palace  of  Saragossa,  in  Arragon. 

One  of  the  great  objects  held  out  by  Columbus  in  his 
ndertaking  was  the  propagation  of  the  Christian  faith. 
He  expected  to  arrive  at  the  extremity  of  Asia,  or  India, 
as  it  was  then  generally  termed,  at  the  vast  empire  of  the 
Grand  Khan,  of  whose  maritime  provinces  of  Mangi  and 
Cathay,  and  their  dependent  islands,  since  ascertained  to 
be  a  part  of  the  kingdom  of  China,  the  most  magnificent 
accounts  had  been  given  by  Marco  Polo.  Various  mis 
sions  had  been  sent,  in  former  times,  by  popes  and  pious 
sovereigns,  to  instruct  this  oriental  potentate  and  his  sub 
jects  in  the  doctrines  of  Christianity.  Columbus  hoped 
to  effect  this  grand  work,  and  to  spread  the  light  of  the 
true  faith  among  the  barbarous  countries  and  nations 
that  were  to  be  discovered  in  the  unknown  parts  of  the 
East.  Isabella,  from  piouc  seal,  and  Ferdinand,  from 
4 


5O  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

mingled  notions  of  bigotry  and  ambition,  accorded  with 
his  views,  and  when  he  afterwards  departed  on  this  voy 
age  letters  were  actually  given  him  by  the  sovereigns, 
for  the  Grand  Khan  of  Tartary. 

The  ardent  enthusiasm  of  Columbus  did  not  stop  here. 
Recollecting  the  insolent  threat  once  made  by  the  soldan 
of  Egypt,  to  destroy  the  holy  sepulchre  at  Jerusalem, 
he  proposed  that  the  profits  which  might  arise  from  his 
discoveries  should  be  consecrated  to  a  crusade  for  the 
rescue  of  the  holy  edifice  from  the  power  of  the  Infidels. 
The  sovereigns  smiled  at  this  sally  of  the  imagination, 
and  expressed  themselves  well  pleased  with  the  idea  ; 
but  what  they  may  have  considered  a  mere  momentary 
thought  was  a  deep  and  cherished  design  of  Columbus. 
It  is  a  curious  and  characteristic  fact,  which  has  never 
been  particularly  noticed,  that  the  recovery  of  the  holy 
sepulchre  was  the  leading  object  of  his  ambition,  medi 
tated  throughout  the  remainder  of  his  life,  and  solemnly 
provided  for  in  his  will,  and  that  he  considered  his  great 
discovery  but  as  a  preparatory  dispensation  of  Providence, j 
to  furnish  means  for  its  accomplishment. 

The  port  of  Palos  cle  Moguer,  in  Andalusia,  was  fixed 
upon  as  the  place  where  the  armament  for  the  expedition 
was  to  be  fitted  out,  the  community  of  the  place  being 
obliged,  in  consequence  of  some  misdemeanor,  to  serve 
the  crown  for  one  year  with  two  armed  caravels.  A 
royal  order  was  issued,  commanding  the  authorities  of 
Palos  to  have  these  caravels  ready  for  sea  within  ten 
days,  and  to  yield  them  and  their  crews  to  the  command 
of  Columbus.  The  latter  was  likewise  empowered  to  fit 
out  a  third  vessel  ;  nor  was  any  restriction  put  upon  his 
voyage,  excepting  that  he  should  not  go  to  the  coast  of 
Guinea,  or  any  other  of  the  lately  discovered  possessions 
of  Portugal.  Orders  were  likewise  issued  by  the  sov- 


ARRIVAL  AT  PALOS.  51 

ereigns,  commanding  the  inhabitants  of  the  seaboard  of 
Andalusia  to  furnish  supplies  and  assistance  of  all  kinds 
for  the  expedition,  at  a  reasonable  rate,  and  threatening 
severe  penalties  to  such  as  should  cause  any  impediment. 
As  a  mark  of  particular  favor  to  Columbus,  Isabella, 
before  his  departure  from  the  court,  appointed  his  son 
Diego  page  to  Prince  Juan,  the  heir  apparent,  an  honor 
granted  only  to  the  sons  of  persons  of  distinguished  rank. 
Thus  gratified  in  his  dearest  wishes,  Columbus  took  leave 
of  the  court  on  the  I2th  of  May,  and  set  out  joyfully  for 
Palos.  Let  those  who  are  disposed  to  faint  under  diffi- 


THE   CONVENT   OF   LA   RABIDA. 
Redraw n  front  Manning's    "  Spanish  Pictures." 

culties,  in  the  prosecution  of  any  great  and  worthy  under 
taking,  remember  that  eighteen  years  elapsed  after  Colum 
bus  conceived  his  enterprise  before  he  was  enabled  to 
carry  it  into  effect ;  that  the  most  of  that  time  was  passed 
in  almost  hopeless  solicitation,  amidst  poverty,  neglect, 
and  taunting  ridicule  ;  that  the  prime  of  his  life  had 
wasted  away  in  the  struggle  ;  and  that,  when  his  perse 
verance  was  finally  crowned  with  success,  he  was  about 
fifty-six  years  of  age.  His  example  should  teach  the  en 
terprising  never  to  despair. 

When  Columbus  arrived  at  Palos,  and  presented  him- 


52  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

self  once  more  before  the  gates  of  the  convent  of  La 
Rabida,  he  was  received  with  open  arms  by  the  worthy 
Juan  Perez,  and  again  entertained  as  his  guest.  The 
zealous  friar  accompanied  him  to  the  parochial  church  of 
St.  George,  in  Palos,  where  Columbus  caused  the  royal 
order  for  the  caravels  to  be  read  by  a  notary  public,  in 
presence  of  the  authorities  of  the  place.  Nothing  could 
equal  the  astonishment  and  horror  of  the  people  of  this 
maritime  community,  when  they  heard  of  the  nature  of 
the  expedition  in  which  they  were  ordered  to  engage. 
They  considered  the  ships  and  crews  demanded  of  then? 
in  the  light  of  sacrifices  devoted  to  destruction.  All  the 
frightful  tales  and  fables  with  which  ignorance  and  super 
stition  are  prone  to  people  obscure  and  distant  regions 
were  conjured  up  concerning  the  unknown  parts  of  the 
deep,  and  the  boldest  seamen  shrunk  from  such  a  wild 
and  chimerical  cruise  into  the  wilderness  of  the  ocean. 

Repeated  mandates  were  issued  by  the  sovereigns, 
ordering  the  magistrates  of  Palos,  and  the  neighboring 
town  of  Moguer,  to  press  into  the  service  any  Spanish 
vessels  and  crews  they  might  think  proper,  and  threaten 
ing  severe  punishments  on  all  who  should  prove  refrac 
tory.  It  was  all  in  vain  ;  the  communities  of  those  places 
were  thrown  into  complete  confusion  ;  tumults  and  alter 
cations  took  place,  but  nothing  of  consequence  was 
effected. 

At  length,  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  the  wealthy  and  en 
terprising  navigator,  who  has  already  been  mentioned, 
came  forward  and  engaged  personally  in  the  expedition. 
He  and  his  brother,  Vicente  Yafiez  Pinzon,  who  was  like 
wise  a  navigator  of  great  courage  and  ability,  possessed 
vessels,  and  had  seamen  in  their  employ.  They  were 
related  to  many  of  the  seafaring  inhabitants  of  Palos  and 
Moguer,  and  had  great  influence  throughout  the  neigh- 


EQUIPMENT  OF   THE  ARMAMENT. 


53 


borhood.  It  is  supposed  that  they  furnished  Columbus 
with  funds  to  pay  the  eighth  share  of  the  expense,  which 
he  had  engaged  to  advance.  They  furnished  two  of  the 
vessels  required,  and  determined  to  sail  in  the  expedition. 
Their  example  and  persuasions  had  a  wonderful  effect ; 
a  great  many  of  their  relations  and  friends  agreed  to  em 
bark,  and  the  vessels  were  ready  for  sea  within  a  month 
after  they  had  engaged  in  their  enterprise. 

During  the  equipment  of  the  armament  various  diffi- 


SHIPS  OF    COLUMBUS. 

culties  occurred.  A  third  vessel,  called  the  "  Pinta,"  had 
been  pressed  into  the  service,  with  its  crew.  The  own 
ers,  Gomez  Rascon  and  Christoval  Quintero,  were  strongly 
repugnant  to  the  voyage,  as  were  most  of  the  mariners 
under  them.  These  people  and  their  friends  endeavored 
in  various  ways  to  retard  or  defeat  the  voyage.  The 
calkers  did  their  work  in  a  careless  manner,  and,  on 
being  ordered  to  do  it  over  again,  absconded  ;  several 
of  the  seamen  who  had  enlisted  willingly,  repented  and 
deserted.  Everything  had  to  be  effected  by  harsh  and 


54 


THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 


arbitrary  measures,  and   in   defiance   of  popular  opposi 
tion. 

At  length,  by  the  beginning  of  August,  every  diffi 
culty  was  vanquished,  and  the  vessels  were  ready  for 
sea.  After  all  the  objections  made  by  various  courts  to 
undertake  this  expedition,  it  is  surprising  how  inconsid 
erable  an  armament  was  required.  Two  of  the  vessels 
were  light  barks  called  caravels,  not  superior  to  river 
and  coasting  craft  of  modern  days.  They  were  built  high 
at  the  prow  and  stern,  with  forecastles  and  cabins  for  the 
crew,  but  were  without  deck  in  the  centre.  Only  one  of 
the  three,  called  the  "  Santa  Maria,"  was  completely 
decked,  on  board  of  which  Columbus  hoisted  his  flag. 
Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon  commanded  one  of  the  caravels, 
called  the  "  Pinta,"  and  was  accompanied  by  his  brother, 


COLUMBUS   TAKING    LF.AVK    OK    KKRDINAND    AND    ISABELLA. 
From  De  firy's  "  Voyages" 


DEPARTURE   ON    THE  FIRST    VOYAGE.  55 

Francisco  Martin,  as  mate  or  pilot.  The  other,  called 
the  "  Nifta,"  had  lateen  sails,  and  was  commanded  by 
Vicente  Yaflez  Pinzon  ;  on  board  of  this  vessel  went  Gar 
cia  Fernandez,  the  physician  of  Palos,  in  the  capacity  of 
steward.  There  were  three  other  able  pilots :  Sancho 
Ruiz,  Pedro  Alonzo  Nifto,  and  Bartholomew  Roldan,  and 
the  whole  number  of  persons  embarked  was  one  hundred 
and  twenty. 

The  squadron  being  ready  to  put  to  sea,  Columbus 
confessed  himself  to  the  Friar  Juan  Perez,  and  partook  of 
the  communion,  and  his  example  was  followed  by  the 
officers  and  crews,  committing  themselves,  with  the  most 
devout  and  affecting  ceremonials,  to  the  especial  guid 
ance  and  protection  of  heaven,  in  this  perilous  enterprise. 
A  deep  gloom  was  spread  over  the  whole  community  of 
Palos,  for  almost  every  one  had  some  relation  or  friend  on 
board  of  the  squadron.  The  spirits  of  the  seamen,  already 
depressed  by  their  own  fears,  were  still  more  cast  down 
at  beholding  the  affliction  of  those  they  left  behind,  who 
took  leave  of  them  with  tears  and  lamentations  and  dis 
mal  forebodings,  as  of  men  they  were  never  to  behold 
again. 


CHAPTER    X. 

EVENTS  OF    THE  FIRST  VOYAGE. — DISCOVERY  OF  LAND. 

[1492.] 

IT  was  early  in  the  morning  of  Friday,  the  3d  of 
August,  1492,  that  Columbus  set  sail  from  the  bar  of 
Saltes,  a  small  island  formed  by  the  rivers  Odiel  and 
Tinto,  in  front  of  Palos,  steering  for  the  Canary  Islands, 
from  whence  he  intended  to  strike  due  west.  As  a  guide 


$0  THE   LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

by  which  to  sail,  he  had  the  conjectural  map  or  chart 
sent  him  by  Paolo  Toscanelli,  of  Florence.  In  this  it 
is  supposed  the  coasts  of  Europe  and  Africa,  from  the 
south  of  Ireland  to  the  end  of  Guinea,  were  delineated 
as  immediately  opposite  to  the  extremity  of  Asia,  while 
the  great  island  of  Cipango,  described  by  Marco  Polo,  lay 
between  them,  fifteen  hundred  miles  from  the  Asiatic 
coast.  At  this  island  Columbus  expected  first  to  arrive. 


PALOS. 

Redrawn  from  an  old print '. 

On  the  third  day  after  setting  sail,  the  "  Pinta  "  made 
signal  of  distress,  her  rudder  being  broken  and  unhung. 
This  was  suspected  to  have  been  done  through  the  con 
trivance  of  the  owners,  Gomez  Rascon  and  Christoval 
Quintero,  to  disable  the  vessel  and  cause  her  to  be  left 
behind.  Columbus  was  much  disturbed  at  this  occur 
rence.  It  gave  him  a  foretaste  of  the  difficulties  to  be 
apprehended  from  people  partly  enlisted  on  compulsion, 
and  full  of  doubt  and  foreboding.  Trivial  obstacles 
might,  in  this  early  stage  of  the  voyage,  spread  panic  and 


DELAY  AT  CANARY  ISLANDS.  57 

mutiny  through  his  crews,  and  induce  them  to  renounce 
the  prosecution  of  the  enterprise. 

Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  who  commanded  the  "  Pinta," 
secured  the  rudder  with  cords,  but  these  fastenings  soon 
gave  way,  and  the  caravel  proving  defective  in  other 
respects,  Columbus  remained  three  weeks  cruising  among 
the  Canary  Islands  in  search  of  another  vessel  to  replace 
her.  Not  being  able  to  find  one,  the  "  Pinta  "  was  re 
paired  and  furnished  with  a  new  rudder.  The  lateen  sails 
of  the  "  Nifta  "  were  also  altered  into  square  sails,  that  she 
might  work  more  steadily  and  securely.  While  making 
these  repairs,  and  taking  in  wood  and  water,  Columbus 
was  informed  that  three  Portuguese  caravels  had  been 
seen  hovering  off  the  island  of  Ferro.  Dreading  some 
hostile  stratagem  on  the  part  of  the  king  of  Portugal,  in 
revenge  for  his  having  embarked  in  the  service  of  Spain, 
he  put  to  sea  early  on  the  morning  of  the  6th  of  Septem 
ber,  but  for  three  days  a  profound  calm  detained  the 
vessels  within  a  short  distance  of  the  land.  This  was  a 
tantalizing  delay,  for  Columbus  trembled  lest  something 
should  occur  to  defeat  his  expedition,  and  was  impatient 
to  find  himself  far  upon  the  ocean,  out  of  sight  of  either 
land  or  sail ;  which,  in  the  pure  atmosphere  of  these  lati 
tudes,  may  be  descried  at  an  immense  distance. 

On  Sunday,  the  Qth  of  September,  as  day  broke,  he 
beheld  Ferro  about  nine  leagues  distant ;  he  was  in  the 
very  neighborhood,  therefore,  where  the  Portuguese  cara 
vels  had  been  seen.  Fortunately  a  breeze  sprang  up  with 
the  sun,  and  in  the  course  of  the  day  the  heights  of  Ferro 
gradually  faded  from  the  horizon. 

On  losing  sight  of  this  last  trace  of  land,  the  hearts  of 
the  crews  failed  them,  for  they  seemed  to  have  taken 
leave  of  the  world.  Behind  them  was  everything  dear 
to  the  heart  of  man — country,  family,  friends,  life  itself; 


$8  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

before  them  everything  was  chaos,  mystery,  and  peril. 
In  the  perturbation  of  the  moment  they  despaired  of 
ever  more  seeing  their  homes.  Many  of  the  rugged  sea 
men  shed  tears,  and  some  broke  into  loud  lamentations. 
Columbus  tried  in  every  way  to  soothe  their  distress, 
describing  the  splendid  countries  to  which  he  expected  to 
conduct  them,  and  promising  them  land,  riches,  and  every 
thing  that  could  arouse  their  cupidity  or  inflame  their 
imaginations  ;  nor  were  these  promises  made  for  purposes 
of  deception,  for  he  certainly  believed  he  should  realize 
them  all. 

He  now  gave  orders  to  the  commanders  of  the  other 
vessels,  in  case  they  should  be  separated  by  any  accident, 
to  continue  directly  westward  ;  but  that,  after  sailing 
seven  hundred  leagues,  they  should  lay  by  from  midnight 
until  daylight,  as  at  about  that  distance  he  confidently 
expected  to  find  land.  Foreseeing  that  the  vague  terrors 
already  awakened  among  the  seamen  would  increase  with 
the  space  which  intervened  between  them  and  their 
homes,  he  commenced  a  stratagem  which  he  continued 
throughout  the  voyage.  This  was  to  keep  two  reckonings, 
one  private,  in  which  the  true  way  of  the  ship  was  noted, 
and  which  he  retained  in  secret  for  his  own  government ; 
the  other  public,  for  general  inspection,  in  which  a  num 
ber  of  leagues  was  daily  subtracted  from  the  sailing  of  the 
ships,  so  as  to  keep  the  crews  in  ignorance  of  the  real 
distance  they  had  advanced. 

When  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  leagues  west  of 
Ferro  they  fell  in  with  part  of  a  mast  of  a  large  vessel, 
and  the  crews,  tremblingly  alive  to  every  portent,  looked 
with  a  rueful  eye  upon  this  fragment  of  a  wreck,  drifting 
ominously  at  the  entrance  of  these  unknown  seas. 

On  the  1 3th  of  September,  in  the  evening,  Columbus, 
for  the  first  time,  noticed  the  variation  of  the  needle,  a 


60  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

phenomenon  which  had  never  before  been  remarked.  He 
at  first  made  no  mention  of  it,  lest  his  people  should  be 
alarmed  ;  but  it  soon  attracted  the  attention  of  the  pilots, 
and  filled  them  with  consternation.  It  seemed  as  if  the 
very  laws  of  Nature  were  changing  as  they  advanced,  and 
that  they  were  entering  another  world,  subject  to  unknown 
influences.  They  apprehended  that  the  compass  was 
about  to  lose  its  mysterious  virtues,  and,  without  this 
guide,  what  was  to  become  of  them  in  a  vast  and  track 
less  ocean  ?  Columbus  tasked  his  science  and  ingenuity 
for  reasons  with  which  to  allay  their  terrors.  He  told 
them  that  the  direction  of  the  needle  was  not  to  the  polar 
star,  but  to  some  fixed  and  invisible  point.  The  varia 
tion,  therefore,  was  not  caused  by  any  fallacy  in  the  com 
pass,  but  by  the  movement  of  the  north  star  itself,  which, 
like  the  other  heavenly  bodies,  had  its  changes  and  revo 
lutions,  and  every  day  described  a  circle  round  the  pole. 
The  high  opinion  they  entertained  of  Columbus  as  a  pro 
found  astronomer  gave  weight  to  his  theory,  and  their 
alarm  subsided. 

They  had  now  arrived  within  the  influence  of  the  trade 
wind,  which,  following  the  sun,  blows  steadily  from  east 
to  west  between  the  tropics,  and  sweeps  over  a  few  ad 
joining  degrees  of  the  ocean.  With  this  propitious  breeze 
directly  aft,  they  were  wafted  gently  but  speedily  over  a 
tranquil  sea,  so  that  for  many  days  they  did  not  shift  a 
sail.  Columbus  in  his  journal  perpetually  recurs  to  the 
bland  and  temperate  serenity  of  the  weather,  and  com 
pares  the  pure  and  balmy  mornings  to  those  of  April  in 
Andalusia,  observing  that  the  song  of  the  nightingale  was 
alone  wanting  to  complete  the  illusion. 

They  now  began  to  see  large  patches  of  herbs  and 
weeds,  all  drifting  from  the  west.  Some  were  such  as 
grow  about  rocks  or  in  rivers,  and  as  green  as  if  recently 


UNEASINESS  OF   THE   CREW.  6 1 

washed  from  the  land.  On  one  of  the  patches  was  a  live 
crab.  They  saw  also  a  white  tropical  bird,  of  a  kind 
which  never  sleeps  upon  the  sea ;  and  tunny  fish  played 
about  the  ships.  Columbus  now  supposed  himself  arrived 
in  the  weedy  sea  described  by  Aristotle,  into  which  cer 
tain  ships  of  Cadiz  had  been  driven  by  an  impetuous  east 
wind. 

As  he  advanced,  there  were  various  other  signs  that 
gave  great  animation  to  the  crews  ;  many  birds  were  seen 
flying  from  the  west  ;  there  was  a  cloudiness  in  the  north, 
such  as  often  hangs  over  land  ;  and  at  sunset  the  imagi 
nation  of  the  seamen,  aided  by  their  desires,  would  shape 
those  clouds  into  distant  islands.  Every  one  was  eager 
to  be  the  first  to  behold  and  announce  the  wished-for 
shore ;  for  the  sovereigns  had  promised  a  pension  of 
thirty  crowns  to  whomsoever  should  first  discover  land. 
Columbus  sounded  occasionally  with  a  line  of  two  hnn- 
dred  fathoms,  but  found  no  bottom.  Martin  Alonzo 
Pinzon,  as  well  as  others  of  his  officers  and  many  of  the 
seamen,  were  often  solicitous  for  Columbus  to  alter 
his  course  and  steer  in  the  direction  of  these  favorable 
signs  ;  but  he  persevered  in  steering  to  the  westward, 
trusting  that,  by  keeping  in  one  steady  direction,  he 
should  reach  the  coast  of  India,  even  if  he  should  miss 
the  intervening  islands,  and  might  then  seek  them  on  his 
return. 

Notwithstanding  the  precaution  which  had  been  taken 
to  keep  the  people  ignorant  of  the  distance  they  had  sailed, 
they  gradually  became  uneasy  at  the  length  of  the  voyage. 
The  various  indications  of  land  which  occasionally  flat 
tered  their  hopes  passed  away  one  after  another,  and 
the  same  interminable  expanse  of  sea  and  sky  continued 
to  extend  before  them.  They  had  advanced  much  far 
ther  to  the  west  than  ever  man  had  sailed  before,  and 


62  THE  LIFE   OF   COLUMBUS. 

though  already  beyond  the  reach  of  succor,  were  still 
pressing  onward  and  onward  into  that  apparently  bound 
less  abyss.  Even  the  favorable  wind,  which  seemed  as  if 
providentially  sent  to  waft  them  to  the  New  World  with 
such  bland  and  gentle  breezes,  was  conjured  by  their  fears 
into  a  source  of  alarm.  They  feared  that  the  wind  in 
these  seas  always  prevailed  from  the  east,  and  if  so,  would 
never  permit  their  return  to  Spain.  A  few  light  breezes 
from  the  west  allayed,  for  a  time,  their  last  apprehension; 
and  several  small  birds,  such  as  keep  about  groves  and 
orchards,  came  singing  in  the  morning,  and  flew  away  at 
night.  Their  song  was  wonderfully  cheering  to  the  hearts 
of  the  poor  mariners,  who  hailed  it  as  the  voice  of  land. 
The  birds  they  had  hitherto  seen  had  been  large  and 
strong  of  wing,  but  such  small  birds,  they  observed,  were 
too  feebl^  to  fly  far,  and  their  singing  showed  that  they 
were  not  exhausted  by  their  flight. 

On  the  following  day  there  was  a  profound  calm,  and 
the  sea,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  was  covered  with 
weeds,  so  as  to  have  the  appearance  of  a  vast  inundated 
meadow — a  phenomenon  attributed  to  the  immense  quan 
tities  of  submarine  plants  which  are  detached  by  the  cur 
rents  from  the  bottom  of  the  ocean.  The  seamen  now 
feared  that  the  sea  was  growing  shallow  ;  they  dreaded 
lurking  rocks  and  shoals  and  quicksands  ;  and  that  their 
vessels  might  run  aground,  as  it  were,  in  the  midst  of  the 
ocean,  far  out  of  the  track  of  human  aid,  and  with  no 
shore  where  the  crews  could  take  refuge.  Columbus 
proved  the  fallacy  of  this  alarm  by  sounding  with  a  deep- 
sea  line;  and  finding  no  bottom. 

For  three  days  there  was  a  continuance  of  light  sum 
mer  airs,  from  the  southward  and  westward,  and  the  sea 
was  as  smooth  as  a  mirror.  The  crews  now  became  un 
easy  at  the  calmness  of  the  weather.  They  observed  that 


COLUMBUS   ON    THE   DECK    OF    HIS    SHIP   WITH   AN   ASTROLABE  IN 
HIS   HAND. 

Front  De  Bry^s  "  Voyages" 


64  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

the  contrary  winds  they  experienced  were  transient  and 
unsteady,  and  so  light  as  not  to  ruffle  the  surface  of  the 
sea ;  the  only  winds  of  constancy  and  force  were  from  the 
west,  and  even  they  had  not  power  to  disturb  the  torpid 
stillness  of  the  ocean.  There  was  a  risk,  therefore,  either 
of  perishing  amidst  stagnant  and  shoreless  waters,  or  of 
being  prevented  by  contrary  winds  from  ever  returning  to 
their  native  country. 

Columbus  continued,  with  admirable  patience,  to  reason 
with  these  absurd  fancies,  but  in  vain,  when,  fortunately, 
there  came  on  a  heavy  swell  of  the  sea,  unaccompanied 
by  wind — a  phenomenon  that  often  occurs  in  the  broad 
ocean,  caused  by  the  impulse  of  some  past  gale  or  distant 
current  of  wind.  It  was,  nevertheless,  regarded  with  as 
tonishment  by  the  mariners,  and  dispelled  the  imaginary 
terrors  occasioned  by  the  calm. 

The  situation  of  Columbus  was  daily  becoming  more 
and  more  critical.  The  impatience  of  the  seamen  arose 
to  absolute  mutiny.  They  gathered  together  in  the  re 
tired  parts  of  the  ships,  at  first  in  little  knots  of  two  and 
three,  which  gradually  increased  and  became  formidable, 
joining  in  murmurs  and  menaces  against  the  Admiral. 
They  exclaimed  against  him  as  an  ambitious  desperado 
who  in  a  mad  fantasy  had  determined  to  do  something 
extravagant  to  render  himself  notorious.  What  obliga 
tion  bound  them  to  persist,  or  when  were  the  terms  of 
their  agreement  to  be  considered  as  fulfilled  ?  They  had 
already  penetrated  into  seas  untraversed  by  a  sail,  and 
where  man  had  never  before  adventured.  Were  they  to 
sail  on  until  they  perished,  or  until  all  return  with  their 
frail  ships  became  impossible?  Who  would  blame  them 
should  they  consult  their  safety  and  return  ?  The  Admi 
ral  was  a  foreigner,  a  man  without  friends  or  influence. 
His  scheme  had  been  condemned  by  the  learned  as  idle 


A  CARAVEL   UNDER   SAIL. 
Front  Columbus's  first  letter. 


66 


THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 


and  visionary,  and  discountenanced  by  people  of  all 
ranks.  There  was,  therefore,  no  party  on  his  side,  but 
rather  a  large  number  who  would  be  gratified  by  his 
failure. 

Such  are  some  of  the  reasonings  by  which  these  men 
prepared  themselves  for  open  rebellion.  Some  even  pro 
posed,  as  an  effectual  mode  of  silencing  all  after  com 
plaints  of  the  Admiral,  that  they  should  throw  him  into 
the  sea,  and  give  out  that  he  had  fallen  overboard  while 
contemplating  the  stars  and  signs  of  the  heavens,  with  his 
astronomical  instruments. 

Columbus  was  not  ignorant  of  these  secret  cabals,  but 
he  kept  a  serene  and  steady  countenance,  soothing  some 
with  gentle  words,  stimulating  the  pride  or  the  avarice 
of  others,  and  openly  menacing  the  most  refractory  with 
punishment.  New  hopes  diverted  them  for  a  time.  On 
the  25th  of  September  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon  mounted 
on  the  stern  of  his  vessel  and  shouted,  "  Land  !  land ! 
Seftor,  I  claim  the  reward!"  There  was,  indeed,  such 
an  appearance  of  land  in  the  southwest  that  Columbus 
threw  himself  upon  his  knees  and  returned  thanks  to 
God,  and  all  the  crews  joined  in  chanting  Gloria  in  Exccl- 
sis.  The  ships  altered  their  course  and  stood  all  night 
to  the  southwest,  but  the  morning  light  put  an  end  to  all 
their  hopes  as  to  a  dream  ;  the  fancied  land  proved  to  be 
nothing  but  an  evening  cloud,  and  had  vanished  in  the 
night. 

For  several  days  they  continued  on,  with  alternate 
hopes  and  murmurs,  until  the  various  signs  of  land  be 
came  so  numerous  that  the  seamen,  from  a  state  of  de 
spondency,  passed  to  one  of  high  excitement.  Eager  to 
obtain  the  promised  pension,  they  were  continually  giving 
the  cry  of  land,  until  Columbus  declared  that  should  any 
one  give  a  notice  of  the  kind  and  land  not  be  discovered 


COMPLAINTS  OF   THE   CREW.  67 

within  three  days  afterwards,  he  should  thenceforth  for 
feit  all  claim  to  the  reward. 

On  the  /th  of  October  they  had  come  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  leagues,  the  distance  at  which  Columbus  had 
computed  to  find  the  island  of  Cipango.  There  were 
great  flights  of  small  field  birds  to  the  southwest,  which 
seemed  to  indicate  some  neighboring  land  in  that  direc 
tion,  where  they  were  sure  of  food  and  a  resting-place. 
Yielding  to  the  solicitations  of  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon 
and  his  brothers,  Columbus,  on  the  evening  of  the  7th, 
altered  his  course,  therefore,  to  the  west-southwest.  As 
he  advanced,  the  signs  of  land  increased ;  the  birds 
came  singing  about  the  ships  ;  and  herbage  floated  by 
as  fresh  and  green  as  if  recently  from  shore.  When, 
however,  on  the  evening  of  the  third  day  of  this  new 
course,  the  seamen  beheld  the  sun  go  down  upon  a 
shoreless  horizon,  they  again  broke  forth  into  loud 
clamors,  and  insisted  upon  abandoning  the  voyage. 
Columbus  endeavored  to  pacify  them  by  gentle  words 
and  liberal  promises ;  but  finding  these  only  increased 
their  violence,  he  assumed  a  different  tone,  and  told 
them  it  was  useless  to  murmur;  the  expedition  had 
been  sent  by  the  sovereigns  to  seek  the  Indies,  and 
happen  what  might,  he  was  determined  to  persevere 
until,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  he  should  accomplish  the 
enterprise. 

He  was  now  at  open  defiance  with  his  crew,  and  his 
situation  would  have  been  desperate,  but,  fortunately,  the 
manifestations  of  land  on  the  following  day  were  such 
as  no  longer  to  admit  of  doubt.  A  green  fish,  such  as 
keeps  about  rocks,  swam  by  the  ships  ;  and  a  branch  of 
thorn,  with  berries  on  it,  floated  by;  they  picked  up, also, 
a  reed,  a  small  board,  and,  above  all,  a  staff  artificially 
carved.  All  gloom  and  murmuring  was  now  at  an  end, 


68  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

and  throughout  the  day  each  one  was  on  the  watch  for 
the  long-sought  land. 

In  the  evening,  when,  according  to  custom,  the  mari 
ners  had  sung  the  Salve  rcgina,  or  vesper  hymn  to  the 
Virgin,  Columbus  made  an  impressive  address  to  his 
crew,  pointing  out  the  goodness  of  God  in  thus  conduct 
ing  them  by  soft  and  favoring  breezes  across  a  tranquil 
ocean  to  the  promised  land.  He  expressed  a  strong  con 
fidence  of  making  land  that  very  night,  and  ordered  that 
a  vigilant  lookout  should  be  kept  from  the  forecastle, 
promising  to  whomsoever  should  make  the  discovery  a 
doublet  of  velvet,  in  addition  to  the  pension  to  be  given 
by  the  sovereigns. 

The  breeze  had  been  fresh  all  clay,  with  more  sea  than 
usual ;  at  sunset  they  stood  again  to  the  west,  and  were 
plowing  the  waves  at  a  rapid  rate,  the  4k  Pinta  "  keeping 
the  lead  from  her  superior  sailing.  The  greatest  anima 
tion  prevailed  throughout  the  ships  ;  not  an  eye  was  closed 
that  night.  As  the  evening  darkened,  Columbus  took 
his  station  on  the  top  of  the  castle  or  cabin  on  the  high 
poop  of  his  vessel.  However  he  might  carry  a  cheerful 
and  confident  countenance  during  the  day,  it  was  to  him 
a  time  of  the  most  painful  anxiety  ;  and  now,  when  he 
was  wrapped  from  observation  by  the  shades  of  night, 
he  maintained  an  intense  and  unremitting  watch,  ranging 
his  eye  along  the  dusky  horizon,  in  search  of  the  most 
vague  indications  of  land.  Suddenly,  about  ten  o'clock, 
he  thought  he  beheld  a  light  glimmering  at  a  distance. 
Fearing  that  his  eager  hopes  might  deceive  him,  he  called 
to  Pedro  Gutierrez,  gentleman  of  the  king's  bedchamber, 
and  demanded  whether  he  saw  a  light  in  that  direction. 
The  latter  replied  in  the  affirmative.  Columbus,  yet 
doubtful  whether  it  might  not  be  some  delusion  of  the 
fancy,  called  Rodrigo  Sanchez  of  Segovia,  and  made  the 


THE   SHIP   OF   COLUMBUS,    THE    "  OCEAN   WAVE." 
Front  Columbus's  first  letter. 


7°  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

same  inquiry.  By  the  time  the  latter  had  ascended  the 
roundhouse  the  light  had  disappeared.  They  saw  it 
once  or  twice  afterwards  in  sudden  and  passing  gleams, 
as  if  it  were  a  torch  in  the  bark  of  a  fisherman,  rising  and 
sinking  with  the  waves  ;  or  in  the  hands  of  some  person 
on  shore,  borne  up  and  down  as  he  walked  from  house  to 
house.  So  transient  and  uncertain  were  these  gleams 
that  few  attached  any  importance  to  them  ;  Columbus, 
however,  considered  them  as  certain  signs  of  land,  and, 
moreover,  that  the  land  was  inhabited. 

They  continued  on  their  course  until  two  in  the  morn 
ing,  when  a  gun  from  the  "  Pinta  "  gave  the  joyful  signal 
of  land.  It  was  first  discovered  by  a  mariner  named  Rod 
riguez  Bermejo,  resident  of  Triana,  a  suburb  of  Seville, 
but  native  of  Alcala  de  la  Guadaira ;  but  the  reward  was 
afterwards  adjudged  to  the  Admiral,  for  having  previously 
perceived  the  light.  The  land  was  now  clearly  seen 
about  two  leagues  distant,  whereupon  they  took  in  sail, 
and  laid  to,  waiting  impatiently  for  the  dawn. 

The  thoughts  and  feelings  of  Columbus  in  this  little 
space  of  time  must  have  been  tumultuous  and  intense. 
At  length,  in  spite  of  every  difficulty  and  danger,  he 
had  accomplished  his  object.  The  great  mystery  of  the 
ocean  was  revealed  ;  his  theory,  which  had  been  the  scoff 
of  sages,  was  triumphantly  established  ;  he  had  secured 
to  himself  a  glory  which  must  be  as  durable  as  the  world 
itself. 

It  is  difficult  even  for  the  imagination  to  conceive  the 
feelings  of  such  a  man,  at  the  moment  of  so  sublime  a 
discovery.  What  a  bewildering  crowd  of  conjectures 
must  have  thronged  upon  his  mind,  as  to  the  land  which 
lay  before  him,  covered  with  darkness.  That  it  was 
fruitful  was  evident  from  the  vegetables  which  floated 
from  its  shores.  He  thought,  too,  that  he  perceived  in 


LANDING  OF  COLUMBUS.  7l 

the  balmy  air  the  fragrance  of  aromatic  groves.  The 
moving  light  which  he  had  beheld  proved  that  it  was 
the  residence  of  man.  But  what  were  its  inhabitants  ? 
Were  they  like  those  of  other  parts  of  the  globe,  or  were 
they  some  strange  and  monstrous  race,  such  as  the  imagi 
nation  in  those  times  was  prone  to  give  to  all  remote 
and  unknown  regions?  Had  he  come  upon  some  wild 
island,  far  in  the  Indian  seas ;  or  was  this  the  famed 
Cipango  itself,  the  object  of  his  golden  fancies?  A 
thousand  speculations  of  the  kind  must  have  swarmed 
upon  him,  as  he  watched  for  the  night  to  pass  away  ; 
wondering  whether  the  morning  light  would  reveal  a 
savage  wilderness,  or  dawn  upon  spicy  groves  and  glit 
tering  fanes  and  gilded  cities,  and  all  the  splendors  of 
oriental  civilization. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

FIRST  LANDING  OF  COLUMBUS  IN  THE  NEW  WORLD. — 
CRUISE  AMONG  THE  BAHAMA  ISLANDS. — DISCOVERY 
OF  CUBA  AND  HISPANIOLA.  [1492.] 

WHEN  the  day  dawned,  Columbus  saw  before  him  a 
level  and  beautiful  island,  several  leagues  in  extent,  of 
great  freshness  and  verdure,  and  covered  with  trees  like 
a  continual  orchard.  Though  everything  appeared  in 
the  wild  luxuriance  of  untamed  nature,  yet  the  island 
was  evidently  populous,  for  the  inhabitants  were  seen 
issuing  from  the  woods,  and  running  from  all  parts  to 
the  shore.  They  were  all  perfectly  naked,  and,  from  their 
attitudes  and  gesture,  appeared  lost  in  astonishment  at 
the  sight  of  the  ships.  Columbus  made  signal  to  cast 
anchor,  and  to  man  the  boats.  He  entered  his  own  boat 


72  THE   LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

richly  attired  in  scarlet,  and  bearing  the  royal  standard. 
Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  and  Vicente  Yanez,  the  brother, 
likewise  put  off  in  their  boats,  each  bearing  the  banne'r 
of  the  enterprise,  emblazoned  with  a  green  cross,  having 
on  each  side  the  letters  F  and  Y,  surmounted  by  crowns, 
the  Spanish  initials  of  the  Castilian  monarchs,  Fernando 
and  Ysabel. 

As  they  approached  the  shores  they  were  delighted  by 
the  beauty  and  grandeur  of  the  forests  ;  the  variety  of 
unknown  fruits  on  the  trees  which  overhung  the  shores  ; 
the  purity  and  suavity  of  the  atmosphere,  and  the  crystal 
transparency  of  the  seas  which  bathe  these  islands.  On 
landing,  Columbus  threw  himself  upon  his  knees,  kissed 
the  earth,  and  returned  thanks  to  God  with  tears  of  joy. 
His  example  was  followed  by  his  companions,  whose 
breasts,  indeed,  were  full  to  overflowing.  Columbus,  then 
rising,  drew  his  sword,  displayed  the  royal  standard,  and 
took  possession,  in  the  names  of  the  Castilian  sovereigns, 
giving  the  island  the  name  of  San  Salvador.  He  then, 
called  upon  all  present  to  take  the  oath  of  obedience  to 
him,  as  Admiral  and  Viceroy,  and  representative  of  the 
sovereigns. 

His  followers  now  burst  forth  into  the  most  extrava 
gant  transports.  They  thronged  around  him,  some  em 
bracing  him,  others  kissing  his  hands.  Those  who  had 
been  most  mutinous  and  turbulent  during  the  voyage, 
were  now  most  devoted  and  enthusiastic.  Some  begged 
favors  of  him,  as  of  a  man  who  had  already  wealth  and 
honors  in  his  gift.  Many  abject  spirits,  who  had  outraged 
him  by  their  insolence,  now  crouched  at  his  feet,  begging 
his  forgiveness,  and  offering,  for  the  future,  the  blindest 
obedience  to  his  commands. 

The  natives  of  the  island,  when,  at  the  dawn  of  day, 
they  had  beheld  the  ships  hovering  on  the  coast,  had 


MEETING    WITH   THE    SAVAGES. 


73 


supposed  them  some  monsters,  which  had  issued  from 
the  deep  during  the  night.  Their  veering  about,  with 
out  any  apparent  effort,  and  the  shifting  and  furling  of 
their  sails,  resembling  huge  wings,  filled  them  with  aston 
ishment.  When  they  beheld  the  boats  approach  the 


NATIVE    HUTS,    HAMACS,    ETC. 
Redrawn  from    Gottfried?*  "  Ne-we   Weltf 

shore,  and  a  number  of  strange  beings,  clad  in  glittering 
steel,  or  raiment  of  various  colors,  landing  upon  the  beach, 
they  fled  in  affright  to  their  woods.  Finding,  however,  that 
there  was  no  attempt  to  pursue  or  molest  them,  they 
gradually  recovered  from  their  terror,  and  approached  the 


74  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

Spaniards  with  great  awe,  frequently  prostrating  them 
selves,  and  making  signs  of  adoration.  During  the  cere 
mony  of  taking  possession  they  remained  gazing,  in  timid 
admiration,  at  the  complexion,  the  beards,  the  shining 
armor,  and  splendid  dress  of  the  Spaniards.  The  Admi 
ral  particularly  attracted  their  attention,  from  his  com 
manding  height,  his  air  of  authority,  his  scarlet  dress,  and 
the  deference  paid  to  him  by  his  companions ;  all  which 
pointed  him  out  to  be  the  commander.  When  they  had 
still  further  recovered  from  their  fears  they  approached 
the  Spaniards,  touched  their  beards,  and  examined  their 
hands  and  faces,  admiring  their  whiteness.  Columbus, 
pleased  with  their  simplicity,  their  gentleness,  and  the 
confidence  they  reposed  in  beings  who  must  have  ap 
peared  so  strange  and  formidable,  submitted  to  their  scru 
tiny  with  perfect  acquiescence.  The  wondering  savages 
were  won  by  this  benignity ;  they  now  supposed  that  the 
ships  had  sailed  out  of  the  crystal  firmament  which 
bounded  their  horizon,  or  that  they  had  descended  from 
above,  on  their  ample  wings,  and  that  these  marvellous 
beings  were  inhabitants  of  the  skies. 

The  natives  of  the  island  were  no  less  objects  of  curi 
osity  to  the  Spaniards,  differing,  as  they  did,  from  any 
race  of  men  they  had  ever  seen.  They  were  entirely 
naked,  and  painted  with  a  variety  of  colors  and  devices, 
so  as  to  have  a  wild  and  fantastic  appearance.  Their  nat 
ural  complexion  was  of  a  tawny,  or  copper,  hue,  and  they 
were  entirely  destitute  of  beards.  Their  hair  was  not 
crisped,  like  the  recently  discovered  tribes  of  Africa  under 
the  same  latitude,  but  straight  and  coarse,  partly  cut 
above  the  ears,  but  some  locks  behind  left  long,  and  fall 
ing  upon  their  shoulders.  Their  features,  though  disfig 
ured  by  paint,  were  agreeable  ;  they  had  lofty  foreheads 
and  remarkably  fine  eyes.  They  were  of  moderate  stat- 


FRIENDLINESS  OF    THE   SAVAGES.  75 

ure  and  well  shaped  ;  most  of  them  appeared  to  be  under 
thirty  years  of  age.  There  was  but  one  female  with  them, 
quite  young,  naked,  like  her  companions,  and  beautifully 
formed.  They  appeared  to  be  a  simple  and  artless  peo 
ple,  and  of  gentle  and  friendly  dispositions.  Their  only 
arms  were  lances,  hardened  at  the  end  by  fire,  or  pointed 
with  a  flint  or  the  bone  of  a  fish.  There  was  no  iron  to 
be  seen  among  them,  nor  did  they  know  its  properties, 
for  when  a  drawn  sword  was  presented  to  them  they 
unguardedly  took  it  by  the  edge.  Columbus  distributed 
among  them  colored  caps,  glass  beads,  hawk's  bells,  and 
other  trifles,  which  they  received  as  inestimable  gifts 
and,  decorating  themselves  with  them,  were  wonderfully 
delighted  with  their  finery. 

As  Columbus  supposed  himself  to  have  landed  on  an 
island  at  the  extremity  of  India,  he  called  the  natives  by 
the  general  appellation  of  Indians,  which  was  universally 
adopted  before  the  nature  of  his  discovery  was  known, 
and  has  since  been  extended  to  all  the  aboriginals  of  the 
New  World.  The  Spaniards  remained  all  day  on  shore, 
refreshing  themselves,  after  their  anxious  voyage,  amidst 
the  beautiful  groves  of  the  island,  and  they  returned  to 
their  ships  late  in  the  evening,  delighted  with  all  they  had 
seen. 

The  island  where  Columbus  had  thus,  for  the  first  time,j 
set  his  foot  upon  the  New  World,  is  one  of  the  Lucayos,] 
or  Bahama  Islands,  and  was  called  by  the  natives  Guana-! 
hani ;  it  still  retains  the  name  of  San  Salvador,  which  he 
gave  it,  though  called  by  the  English,  Cat  Island.  The 
light  which  he  had  seen  the  evening  previous  to  his  mak 
ing  land  may  have  been  on  Watling's  Island,  which  lies  a 
few  leagues  to  the  east. 

On  the  following  morning,  at  daybreak,  some  of  the 
natives  came  swimming  off  to  the  ships,  and  others  came 


j  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

in  light  barks,  which  they  called  canoes,  formed  of  a  sin 
gle  tree,  hollowed,  and  capable  of  holding  from  one  man 
to  the  number  of  forty  or  fifty.  The  Spaniards  soon  dis 
covered  that  they  were  destitute  of  wealth,  and  had  little 
to  offer  in  return  for  trinkets,  except  balls  of  cotton  yarn 
and  domesticated  parrots.  They  brought  cakes  of  a  kind 
of  bread  called  cassava,  made  from  the  yucca  root,  which 
constituted  a  principal  part  of  their  food. 

The  avarice  of  the  discoverers  was  awakened  by  per 
ceiving  small  ornaments  of  gold  in  the  noses  of  some  of 
the  natives.  On  being  asked  where  this  precious  metal 
was  procured,  they  answered  by  signs,  pointing  to  the 
south,  and  Columbus  understood  them  to  say  that  a 
king  resided  in  that  quarter,  of  such  wealth  that  he  was 
served  in  great  vessels  of  gold.  He  interpreted  all  their 
imperfect  communications  according  to  his  previous  ideas 
and  his  cherished  wishes.  They  spoke  of  a  warlike 
people,  who  often  invaded  their  island  from  the  north 
west,  and  carried  off  the  inhabitants.  These  he  concluded 
to  be  the  people  of  the  mainland  of  Asia,  subjects  to  the 
Grand  Khan,  who,  according  to  Marco  Polo,  were  accus 
tomed  to  make  war  upon  the  islands  and  make  slaves 
of  the  natives.  The  rich  country  to  the  south  could  be 
no  other  than  the  island  of  Cipango,  and  the  king  who 
I  was  served  out  of  golden  vessels  must  be  the  monarch 
whose  magnificent  palace  was  said  to  be  covered  with 
plates  of  gold. 

Having  explored  the  island  of  Guanahani,  and  taken 
in  a  supply  of  wood  and  water,  Columbus  set  sail  in 
quest  of  the  opulent  country  to  the  south,  taking  seven 
of  the  natives  with  him,  to  acquire  the  Spanish  language, 
and  serve  as  interpreters  and  guides. 

He  now  beheld  a  number  of  beautiful  islands,  green, 
level,  and  fertile,  and  the  Indians  intimated  by  signs  that 


AMONG    THE  BAHAMAS.  77 

they  were  innumerable ;  he  supposed  them  to  be  a  part 
of  the  great  archipelago  described  by  Marco  Polo  as 
stretching  along  the  coast  of  Asia,  and  abounding  with 
spices  and  odoriferous  trees.  He  visited  three  of  them, 
to  which  he  gave  the  names  of  Santa  Maria  de  la  Con 
ception,  Fernandina,  and  Isabella.  The  inhabitants  gave 
the  same  proofs  as  those  of  San  Salvador  of  being  totally 
unaccustomed  to  the  sight  of  civilized  man.  They  re 
garded  the  Spaniards  as  superhuman  beings,  approached 
them  with  propitiatory  offerings,  of  whatever  their  pov 
erty,  or,  rather,  their  simple  and  natural  mode  of  life, 
afforded ;  the  fruits  of  their  fields  and  groves,  their  cot 
ton  yarn,  and  their  domesticated  parrots.  When  the 
Spaniards  landed  in  search  of  water  they  took  them  to 
the  coolest  springs,  the  sweetest  and  freshest  runs,  filling 
their  casks,  rolling  them  to  the  boats,  and  seeking  in 
every  way  to  gratify  their  celestial  visitors. 

Columbus  was  enchanted  by  the  lovely  scenery  of  some 
of  these  islands.  "  I  know  not,"  says  he,  "  where  first 
to  go,  nor  are  my  eyes  ever  weary  of  gazing  on  the 
beautiful  verdure.  The  singing  of  the  birds  is  such  that 
it  seems  as  if  one  would  never  desire  to  depart  hence. 
There  are  flocks  of  parrots  that  obscure  the  sun,  and 
other  birds  of  many  kinds,  large  and  small,  entirely 
different  from  ours.  Trees,  also,  of  a  thousand  species, 
each  having  its  particular  fruit,  and  all  of  marvellous 
flavor.  I  believe  there  are  many  herbs  and  trees  which 
would  be  of  great  value  in  Spain  for  tinctures,  medicines, 
and  spices,  but  I  know  nothing  of  them,  which  gives  me 
great  vexation." 

The  fish  which  abounded  in  these  seas  partook  of  the 
novelty  which  characterized  most  of  the  objects  in  this 
new  world.  They  rivalled  the  birds  in  the  tropical 
brilliancy  of  their  colors,  the  scales  of  some  of  them 


?  THE   LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

glanced  back  the  rays  of  light  like  precious  stones,  and 
as  they  sported  about  the  ships  they  flashed  gleams  of 
gold  and  silver  through  the  crystal  waves. 

Columbus  was  disappointed  in  his  hopes  of  finding  any 
gold  or  spices  in  these  islands  ;  but  the  natives  continued 
to  point  to  the  south  as  the  region  of  wealth,  and  began 
to  speak  of  an  island  in  that  direction,  called  Cuba,  which, 
the  Spaniards  understood  them  to  say,  abounded  in  gold, 
pearls,  and  spices,  carried  on  an  extensive  commerce,  and 
that  large  merchant  ships  came  to  trade  with  the  inhab 
itants.  Columbus  concluded  this  to  be  the  desired 
Cipango,  and  the  merchant  ships  to  be  those  of  the 
Grand  Khan.  He  set  sail  in  search  of  it,  and  after  being 
delayed  for  several  days,  by  contrary  winds  and  calms, 
among  the  small  islands  of  the  Bahama  bank  and  chan 
nel,  he  arrived  in  sight  of  it  on  the  28th  of  October. 

As  he  approached  this  noble  island  he  was  struck  with 
its  magnitude,  the  grandeur  of  its  mountains,  its  fertile 
valleys  and  long,  sweeping  plains,  covered  by  stately 
forests  and  watered  by  noble  rivers.  He  anchored  in  a 
beautiful  river  to  the  west  of  Nuevitas  del  Principe,  and 
taking  formal  possession  of  the  island,  gave  it  the  name  of 
Juana,  in  honor  of  Prince  Juan,  and  to  the  river  the  name 
of  San  Salvador. 

Columbus  spent  several  days  coasting  this  part  of  the 
island  and  exploring  the  fine  harbors  and  rivers  with 
which  it  abounds.  From  his  continual  remarks  in  his 
journal  on  the  beauty  of  the  scenery,  and  from  the  pleas 
ure  which  he  evidently  derived  from  rural  sounds  and 
objects,  he  appears  to  have  been  extremely  open  to  those 
delicious  influences  exercised  over  some  spirits  by  the 
graces  and  wonders  of  nature.  He  was,  in  fact,  in  a  mood 
to  see  everything  through  a  fond  and  favoring  medium, 
for  he  was  enjoying  the  fulfillment  of  his  hopes,  the  hard- 


AMONG    THE  ANTILLES.  79 

earned  but  glorious  reward  of  his  toils  and  perils,  and  it 
is  difficult  to  conceive  the  rapturous  state  of  his  feelings 
while  thus  exploring  the  charms  of  a  virgin  world,  won  by 
his  enterprise  and  valor. 

In  the  sweet  smell  of  the  woods  and  the  odor  of  the 
flowers  he  fancied  he  perceived  the  fragrance  of  oriental 
spices,  and  along  the  shores  he  found  shells  of  the  oyster 
which  produces  pearls.  He  frequently  deceived  himself 
in  fancying  that  he  heard  the  song  of  the  nightingale,  a 
bird  unknown  in  these  countries.  From  the  grass  grow 
ing  to  the  very  edge  of  the  water  he  inferred  the  peace- 
fulness  of  the  ocean  which  bathes  these  islands,  never 
lashing  the  shores  with  angry  surges.  Ever  since  his 
arrival  among  these  Antilles  he  had  experienced  nothing 
but  soft  and  gentle  weather,  and  he  concluded  that  a  per 
petual  serenity  reigned  over  these  seas,  little  suspicious  of 
the  occasional  bursts  of  fury  to  which  they  are  liable,  and 
to  the  tremendous  hurricanes  which  rend  and  devastate 
the  face  of  nature. 

While  coasting  the  island  he  landed  occasionally  and 
visited  the  villages,  the  inhabitants  of  which  fled  to  the 
woods  and  mountains.  The  houses  were  constructed  of 
branches  of  palm-trees,  in  the  shape  of  pavilions,  and  were 
scattered  under  the  spreading  trees,  like  tents  in  a  camp. 
They  were  better  built  than  those  he  had  hitherto  visited, 
and  extremely  clean.  He  found  in  them  rude  images 
and  wooden  masks,  carved  with  considerable  ingenuity. 
Finding  implements  for  fishing  in  all  the  cabins,  he  con 
cluded  that  the  coasts  were  inhabited  merely  by  fisher 
men,  who  supplied  the  cities  in  the  interior. 

After  coasting  to  the  northwest  for  some  distance 
Columbus  came  in  sight  of  a  great  headland,  to  which, 
from  the  groves  which  covered  it,  he  gave  the  name  of 
the  Cape  of  Palms.  Here  he  learnt  that  behind  this  bay 


80  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

there  was  a  river,  from  whence  it  was  but  four  days*  jour 
ney  to  Cubanacan.  By  this  name  the  natives  designated 
a  province  in  the  centre  of  Cuba  ;  nacan  in  their  language 
signifying,  in  the  midst.  Columbus  fancied,  however, 
that  they  were  talking  of  Cublai  Khan,  the  Tartar  sov 
ereign,  and  understood  them  to  say  that  Cuba  was  not  an 
island,  but  terra  firma.  He  concluded  that  this  must  be 
a  part  of  the  mainland  of  Asia,  and  that  he  could  be  at  no 
great  distance  from  Mangi  and  Cathay,  the  ultimate  des 
tination  of  his  voyage.  The  prince  said  to  reign  over  the 
neighboring  country  might  be  some  oriental  potentate  of 
consequence;  he  determined,  therefore,  to  send  a  present 
to  him,  and  one  of  his  letters  of  recommendation  from  the 
Castilian  sovereigns.  For  this  purpose  he  chose  two  Span 
iards,  one  of  whom  was  a  converted  Jew,  and  knew  He 
brew,  Chaldaic,  and  a  little  Arabic,  one  or  other  of  which 
languages,  it  was  thought,  must  be  known  to  this  oriental 
prince.  Two  Indians  were  sent  with  them  as  guides ; 
they  were  furnished  with  strings  of  beads  and  various 
trinkets,  for  their  travelling  expenses,  and  enjoined  to 
inform  themselves  accurately  concerning  the  situation  of 
certain  provinces,  ports,  and  rivers  of  Asia,  and  to  ascer 
tain  whether  drugs  and  spices  abounded  in  the  country. 
The  ambassadors  penetrated  twelve  leagues  into  the 
interior,  when  they  came  to  a  village  of  fifty  houses,  and 
at  least  a  thousand  inhabitants.  They  were  received  with 
great  kindness,  conducted  to  the  principal  house,  and  pro 
visions  placed  before  them,  after  which  the  Indians  seated 
themselves  on  the  ground  around  their  visitors,  and 
waited  to  hear  what  they  had  to  communicate. 

The  Israelite  found  his  Hebrew,  Chaldaic,  and  Arabic 
of  no  avail,  and  the  Lucayen  interpreter  had  to  be  the 
orator.  He  made  a  regular  speech  after  the  Indian  man 
ner,  extolling  the  power,  wealth,  and  munificence  of  the 


TOBACCO    USED   BY    THE  NATIVES.  8 1 

white  men.  When  he  had  finished,  the  Indians  crowded 
round  the  Spaniards,  touched  and  examined  their  skin 
and  raiment,  and  kissed  their  hands  and  feet  in  token  of 
adoration.  There  was  no  appearance  of  gold,  or  any 
other  article  of  great  value,  among  them ;  and  when 
they  were  shown  specimens  of  various  spices  they  said 
there  was  nothing  of  the  kind  to  be  found  in  the  neigh 
borhood,  but  far  off  to  the  southwest. 

Finding  no  traces  of  the  city  and  court  they  had  antici 
pated,  the  envoys  returned  to  their  ships ;  on  the  way 
back  they  beheld  several  of  the  natives  going  about  with 
firebrands  in  their  hands,  and  certain  dried  herbs,  which 
they  rolled  up  in  a  leaf,  and  lighting  one  end,  put  the 
other  in  their  mouths,  and  continued  inhaling  and  puff 
ing  out  the  smoke.  A  roll  of  this  kind  they  called  a  to 
bacco  ;  a  name  since  transferred  to  the  weed  itself.  The 
Spaniards  were  struck  with  astonishment  at  this  singular, 
and  apparently  preposterous,  luxury,  although  prepared 
to  meet  with  wonders. 

The  report  of  the  envoys  put  an  end  to  many  splendid 
fancies  of  Columbus  about  this  barbaric  prince  and  his 
capital ;  all  that  they  had  seen  betokened  a  primitive 
and  simple  state  of  society ;  the  country,  though  fertile 
and  beautiful,  was  wild,  and  but  slightly  and  rudely  culti 
vated  ;  the  people  were  evidently  strangers  to  civilized 
man,  nor  could  they  hear  of  any  inland  city  superior  to 
the  one  they  had  visited. 

As  fast  as  one  illusion  passed  away,  however,  another 
succeeded.  Columbus  now  understood  from  the  signs 
of  the  Indians  that  there  was  a  country  to  the  eastward 
where  the  people  collected  gold  along  the  river  banks  by 
torchlight,  and  afterwards  wrought  it  into  bars  with 
hammers.  In  speaking  of  this  place  they  frequently 
used  the  words  Babeque  and  Bohio,  which  he  supposed 
6 


82  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

to  be  the  names  of  islands  or  provinces.  As  the  sea 
son  was  advancing,  and  the  cool  nights  gave  hints  of 
approaching  winter,  he  resolved  not  to  proceed  further 
to  the  north,  and  turning  eastward,  sailed  in  quest  of 
Babeque,  which  he  trusted  might  prove  some  rich  and 
civilized  island. 

After  running  along  the  coast  for  two  or  three  days, 
and  passing  a  great  cape,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of 
Cape  Cuba,  he  stood  out  to  sea  in  the  direction  pointed 
out  by  the  Indians.  The  wind,  however,  came  directly 
ahead,  and  after  various  ineffectual  attempts  he  had  to 
return  to  Cuba.  What  gave  him  great  uneasiness  was 
that  the  "  Pinta,"  commanded  by  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon, 
parted  company  with  him  during  this  attempt.  She  was 
the  best  sailer,  and  had  worked  considerably  to  windward 
of  the  other  ships.  Pinzon  paid  no  attention  to  the  sig 
nals  of  Columbus  to  turn  back,  though  they  were  repeat 
ed  at  night  by  lights  at  the  masthead;  when  morning 
dawned,  the  "  Pinta  "  was  no  longer  to  be  seen. 

Columbus  considered  this  a  wilful  desertion,  and  was 
much  troubled  and  perplexed  by  it.  Martin  Alonzo  had 
for  some  time  shown  impatience  at  the  domination  of  the 
Admiral.  He  was  a  veteran  navigator,  of  great  abilities, 
and  accustomed  from  his  wealth  and  standing  to  give  the 
law  among  his  nautical  associates.  He  had  furnished  two 
of  the  ships  and  much  of  the  funds  for  the  expedition, 
and  thought  himself  entitled  to  an  equal  share  in  the 
command.  Several  disputes,  therefore,  had  occurred  be 
tween  him  and  the  Admiral.  Columbus  feared  he  might 
have  departed  to  make  an  independent  cruise,  or  might 
have  the  intention  to  hasten  back  to  Spain,  and  claim  the 
merit  of  the  discovery.  These  thoughts  distracted  his 
mind,  and  embarrassed  him  in  the  farther  prosecution  of 
his  discoveries. 


FIRST  SIGHT  OF  HA  YTI.  83 

For  several  days  he  continued  exploring  the  coast  of 
Cuba,  until  he  reached  the  eastern  end,  and  to  which, 
from  supposing  it  the  extreme  point  of  Asia,  he  gave  the 
name  of  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end. 
While  steering  at  large  beyond  this  cape,  undetermined 
which  course  to  take,  he  descried  high  mountains  tower 
ing  above  the  clear  horizon  to  the  southeast,  and  giving 
evidence  of  an  island  of  great  extent.  He  immediately 
stood  for  it,  to  the  great  consternation  of  his  Indian 
guides,  who  assured  him  by  signs  that  the  inhabitants  had 
but  one  eye,  and  were  fierce  and  cruel  cannibals. 

In  the  transparent  atmosphere  of  the  tropics,  objects 
are  descried  at  a  great  distance,  and  the  purity  of  the  air 
and  serenity  of  the  deep  blue  sky  give  a  magical  charm  to 
scenery.  Under  these  advantages,  the  beautiful  island  of 
Hayti  revealed  itself  to  the  eye  as  they  approached.  Its 
mountains  were  higher  and  more  rocky  than  those  of  the 
other  islands,  but  the  rocks  rose  from  among  rich  forests. 
The  mountains  swept  down  into  luxuriant  plains  and 
green  savannas,  while  the  appearance  of  cultivated  fields, 
with  the  numerous  fires  at  night,  and  the  columns  of  smoke 
which  rose  in  various  parts  by  day,  all  showed  it  to  be 
populous.  It  rose  before  them  in  all  the  splendor  of  trop 
ical  vegetation,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  islands  in  the 
world,  and  doomed  to  be  one  of  the  most  unfortunate. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

COASTING   OF   HISPANIOLA. — SHIPWRECK,   AND   OTHER 
OCCURRENCES   AT   THE    ISLAND.      [1492.] 

ON  the  evening    of  the  6th  of  December,  Columbus 
entered   a  harbor  at   th<>   \v<- tern    end   of  the  island,   to 


GALLEY    COASTING    THE    ISLAND    OF    H1SPANIOLA. 

Front  an  illustration  of  a  letter  written  by  Columbus  to  Don 
Raphael  A'ansis,  treasurer  of  the  king  of  Spain.  An  ex 
tremely  rare  edition  of  the  letter  exists  in  the  library  of 
Milan.  The  original  sketch  is  supposed  to  have  been  ina.dc 
with  a  pen  by  Columbus. 


INTERCOURSE    WITH    THE   NATIVES.  85 

which  he  gave  the  name  of  St.  Nicholas,  by  which  it  is 
called  at  the  present  day.  Not  being  able  to  meet  with 
any  of  the  inhabitants,  who  had  fled  from  their  dwellings, 
he  coasted  along  the  northern  side  of  the  island  to  another 
harbor,  which  he  called  Conception.  Here  the  sailors 
caught  several  kinds  of  fish  similar  to  those  of  their  own 
country;  they  heard  also  the  notes  of  a  bird  which  sings 
in  the  night,  and  which  they  mistook  for  the  nightingale, 
and  they  fancied  the  features  of  the  surrounding  country 
resembled  those  of  the  more  beautiful  provinces  of  Spain  ; 
in  consequence  of  this  idea  the  Admiral  named  the  island 
Espanola,  or,  as  it  is  commonly  written,  Hispaniola.  Af 
ter  various  ineffectual  attempts  to  obtain  a  communication 
with  the  natives,  three  sailors  succeeded  in  overtaking  a 
young  and  handsome  female,  who  was  flying  from  them, 
and  brought  their  wild  beauty  in  triumph  to  the  ships. 
She  was  treated  with  the  greatest  kindness,  and  dismissed 
finely  clothed,  and  loaded  with  presents  of  beads,  hawk's 
bells,  and  other  baubles.  Confident  of  the  favorable  im 
pression  her  account  of  her  treatment  and  the  sight  of 
her  presents  must  produce,  Columbus,  on  the  following 
day,  sent  nine  men,  well  armed,  to  seek  her  village,  accom 
panied  by  a  native  of  Cuba  as  an  interpreter.  The  village 
was  situated  in  a  fine  valley,  on  the  banks  of  a  beautiful 
river,  and  contained  about  a  thousand  houses.  The  na 
tives  fled  at  first,  but  being  reassured  by  the  interpreter, 
they  came  back  to  the  number  of  two  thousand,  and  ap 
proached  the  Spaniards  with  awe  and  trembling,  often 
pausing  and  putting  their  hands  upon  their  heads  in  token 
of  reverence  and  submission. 

The  female  also,  who  had  been  entertained  on  board  of 
the  ships,  came  borne  in  triumph  on  the  shoulders  of  some 
of  her  countrymen,  followed  by  a  multitude,  and  preceded 
by  her  husband,  who  was  full  of  gratitude  for  the  kindness 


DISCOVERY    OF    HISPANIULA. 
From   H err  era's   "  History   of  the   West  Indies,'' 


VISIT  FROM  A    CACIQUE.  8? 

with  which  she  had  been  treated.  Having  recovered 
from  their  fears,  the  natives  conducted  the  Spaniards  to 
their  houses,  and  set  before  them  cassava  bread,  fish, 
roots,  and  fruits  of  various  kinds  ;  offering  them  freely 
whatever  they  possessed,  for  a  frank  hospitality  reigned 
throughout  the  island,  where  as  yet  the  passion  of  ava 
rice  was  unknown. 

The  Spaniards  returned  to  the  vessels  enraptured  with 
the  beauty  of  the  country,  surpassing,  as  they  said,  even 
the  luxuriant  valley  of  Cordova  ;  all  that  they  complained 
of  was  that  they  saw  no  signs  of  riches  among  the  natives. 

Continuing  along  the  coast,  Columbus  had  farther  in 
tercourse  with  the  natives,  some  of  whom  had  ornaments 
of  gold,  which  they  readily  exchanged  for  the  merest 
trifle  of  European  manufacture.  At  one  of  the  harbors, 
where  he  was  detained  by  contrary  winds,  he  was  visited 
by  a  young  cacique,  apparently  of  great  importance,  who 
came  borne  on  a  litter  by  four  men,  and  attended  by  two 
hundred  of  his  subjects.  He  entered  the  cabin  where 
Columbus  was  dining,  and  took  his  seat  beside  him,  with 
a  frank,  unembarrassed  air,  while  two  old  men,  who  were 
his  counsellors,  seated  themselves  at  his  feet,  watching 
his  lips,  as  if  to  catch  and  communicate  his  ideas.  If  any 
thing  were  given  him  to  eat,  he  merely  tasted  it,  and  sent 
it  to  his  followers,  maintaining  an  air  of  great  gravity  and 
dignity.  After  dinner,  he  presented  the  Admiral  with  a 
belt  curiously  wrought,  and  two  pieces  of  gold.  Colum 
bus  made  him  various  presents  in  return  ;  he  showed  him 
a  coin  bearing  the  likenesses  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella, 
and  endeavored  to  give  him  an  idea  of  the  power  and 
grandeur  of  those  sovereigns.  The  cacique,  however, 
could  not  be  made  to  believe  that  there  was  a  region  on 
earth  which  produced  such  wonderful  people  and  won 
derful  things,  but  persisted  in  the  idea  that  the  Spaniards 


NATIVES   CARRYING    A    CACIQUE. 
Rtdraivn  from   Herrera's   "  History  of  the    West  Indies" 


HOSPITALITY  OF   THE  NATIVES.  89 

were  more  than  mortal,  and  that  the  country  and  sover 
eigns  they  spoke  of  must  exist  somewhere  in  the  skies. 

On  the  2Oth  of  December,  Columbus  anchored  in  a 
fine  harbor,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  St.  Thomas, 
supposed  to  be  what  at  present  is  called  the  Bay  of  Acul. 
Here  a  large  canoe  visited  the  ships,  bringing  messengers 
from  a  grand  cacique  named  Guacanagari,  who  resided 
on  the  coast  a  little  farther  to  the  eastward,  and  reigned 
over  all  that  part  of  the  island.  The  messengers  bore  a 
present  of  abroad  belt,  wrought  ingeniously  with  colored 
beads  and  bones,  and  a  wooden  mask,  the  eyes,  nose,  and 
tongue  of  which  were  of  gold.  They  invited  Columbus, 
in  the  name  of  the  cacique,  to  come  with  his  ships  oppo 
site  to  the  village  where  he  resided.  Adverse  winds 
prevented  an  immediate  compliance  with  this  invitation  ; 
he  therefore  sent  a  boat  well  armed,  with  the  notary  of 
the  squadron,  to  visit  the  chieftain.  The  latter  returned 
with  so  favorable  an  account  of  the  appearance  of  the 
village,  and  the  hospitality  of  the  cacique,  that  Columbus 
determined  to  set  sail  for  his  residence  as  soon  as  the 
wind  would  permit. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  24th  of  December,  there 
fore,  he  weighed  anchor,  with  a  light  wind  that  scarcely 
filled  the  sails.  By  eleven  o'clock  at  night  he  was  within 
a  league  and  a  half  of  the  residence  of  the  cacique  ;  the 
sea  was  calm  and  smooth,  and  the  ship  almost  motionless. 
The  Admiral,  having  had  no  sleep  the  preceding  night, 
retired  to  take  a  little  repose.  No  sooner  had  he  left  the 
deck  than  the  steersman  gave  the  helm  in  charge  to  one 
of  the  ship  boys,  and  went  to  sleep.  This  was  in  direct 
violation  of  an  invariable  order  of  the  Admiral,  never  to 
intrust  the  helm  to  the  boys.  The  rest  of  the  mariners 
who  had  the  watch  took  like  advantage  of  the  absence  of 
Columbus,  and  in  a  little  while  the  whole  crew  was  buried 


90  THE   LIFE   OF   COLUMBUS. 

in  sleep.  While  this  security  reigned  over  the  ship,  the 
treacherous  currents,  which  run  swiftly  along  this  coast, 
carried  her  smoothly,  but  with  great  violence,  upon  a 
sandbank.  The  heedless  boy,  feeling  the  rudder  strike, 
and  hearing  the  rushing  of  the  sea,  cried  out  for  aid. 
Columbus  was  the  first  to  take  the  alarm,  and  was  soon 
followed  by  the  master  of  the  ship,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
have  been  on  watch,  and  by  his  delinquent  companions. 
The  Admiral  ordered  them  to  carry  out  an  anchor  astern, 
that  they  might  warp  the  vessel  off.  They  sprang  into 
the  boat,  but  being  confused  and  seized  with  a  panic,  as 
men  are  apt  to  be  when  suddenly  awakened  by  an  alarm, 
instead  of  obeying  the  commands  of  Columbus  they 
rowed  off  to  the  other  caravel.  Vicente  Yaflez  Pinzon, 
who  commanded  the  latter,  reproached  them  with  their 
pusillanimity,  and  refused  to  admit  them  on  board,  and, 
manning  his  boat,  he  hastened  to  the  assistance  of  the 
Admiral. 

In  the  meantime  the  ship,  swinging  across  the  stream, 
had  been  set  more  and  more  upon  the  bank.  Efforts 
were  made  to  lighten  her  by  cutting  away  the  mast,  but 
in  vain.  The  keel  was  firmly  bedded  in  the  sand  ;  the 
seams  opened,  and  the  breakers  beat  against  her,  until 
she  fell  over  on  one  side.  Fortunately,  the  weather  con 
tinued  calm,  otherwise  both  ship  and  crew  must  have 
perished.  The  Admiral  abandoned  the  wreck,  and  took 
refuge,  with  his  men,  on  board  of  the  caravel.  He  laid- 
to  until  daylight,  sending  messengers  on  shore  to  inform 
the  cacique  Guacanagari  of  his  disastrous  shipwreck. 

When  the  chieftain  heard  of  the  misfortune  of  his  guest 
he  was  so  much  afflicted  as  to  shed  tears  ;  and  never,  in 
civilized  country,  were  the  vaunted  rites  of  hospitality 
more  scrupulously  observed  than  by  this  uncultured  sav 
age.  He  assembled  his  people,  and  sent  off  all  his  canoes 


FRIENDLINESS   OF   THE  NATIVES.  9! 

to  the  assistance  of  the  Admiral,  assuring  him,  at  the  same 
time,  that  everything  he  possessed  was  at  his  service. 
The  effects  were  landed  from  the  wreck  and  deposited 
near  the  dwelling  of  the  cacique,  and  a  guard  set  over 
them  until  houses  could  be  prepared,  in  which  they  could 
be  stored.  There  seemed,  however,  no  disposition  among 
the  natives  to  take  advantage  of  the  misfortune  of  the 
strangers,  or  to  plunder  the  treasures  thus  cast  upon  their 
shores,  though  they  must  have  been  inestimable  in  their 
eyes.  Even  in  transporting  the  effects  from  the  ship, 
they  did  not  attempt  to  pilfer  or  conceal  the  most  trifling 
article.  On  the  contrary,  they  manifested  as  deep  a  con 
cern  at  the  disaster  of  the  Spaniards  as  if  it  had  happened 
to  themselves,  and  their  only  study  was  how  they  could 
administer  relief  and  consolation.  Columbus  was  greatly 
affected  by  this  unexpected  goodness.  "  These  people," 
said  he  in  his  journal,  intended  for  the  perusal  of  the 
sovereigns,  "  love  their  neighbors  as  themselves;  their 
discourse  is  ever  sweet  and  gentle,  and  accompanied  by 
a  smile.  I  swear  to  your  majesties,  there  is  not  in  the 
world  a  better  nation  or  a  better  land." 

When  the  cacique  first  met  with  Columbus  he  was 
much  moved  at  beholding  his  dejection,  and  again  offered 
him  everything  he  possessed  that  could  be  of  service  to 
him.  He  invited  him  on  shore,  where  a  banquet  was  pre 
pared  for  his  entertainment,  consisting  of  various  kinds 
of  fish  and  fruit,  and  an  animal  called  utia  by  the  natives, 
which  resembled  a  cony.  After  the  collation,  he  con 
ducted  Columbus  to  the  beautiful  groves  which  surround 
ed  his  residence,  where  upwards  of  a  thousand  of  the  na 
tives  were  assembled,  all  perfectly  naked,  who  performed 
several  of  their  national  games  and  dances.  Thus  did 
this  generous  cacique  try,  by  every  means  in  his  power, 
to  cheer  the  melancholy  of  his  guest,  showing  a  warmth 


92  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

of  sympathy,  a  delicacy  of  attention,  and  an  innate  dignity 
and  refinement  which  could  not  have  been  expected  from 
one  in  his  savage  state.  He  was  treated  with  great  defer 
ence  by  his  subjects,  and  conducted  himself  towards  them 
with  a  gracious  and  prince-like  majesty.  His  whole  de 
portment,  in  the  enthusiastic  eyes  of  Columbus,  betokened 
the  inborn  grace  and  dignity  of  lofty  lineage. 

When  the  Indians  had  finished  their  games,  Columbus 
gave  them  an  entertainment  in  return,  calculated  to  im 
press  them  with  a  formidable  opinion  of  the  military 
power  of  the  Spaniards.  A  Castilian,  who  had  served 
in  the  wars  of  Granada,  exhibited  his  skill  in  shooting 
with  a  Moorish  bow,  to  the  great  admiration  of  the  ca 
cique.  A  cannon  and  an  arquebuse  were  likewise  dis 
charged  ;  at  the  sound  of  which  the  Indians  fell  to  the 
ground,  as  though  they  had  been  struck  by  a  thunderbolt. 
When  they  saw  the  effect  of  the  ball,  rending  and  shiver 
ing  the  trees,  they  were  filled  with  dismay.  On  being 
told,  however,  that  the  Spaniards  would  protect  them 
with  these  arms  against  the  invasions  of  their  dreaded 
enemies,  the  Caribs,  their  alarm  was  changed  into  con 
fident  exultation,  considering  themselves  under  the  pro 
tection  of  the  sons  of  heaven,  who  had  come  from  the 
skies,  armed  with  thunder  and  lightning.  The  cacique 
placed  a  kind  of  coronet  of  gold  on  the  head  of  Columbus, 
and  hung  plates  of  the  same  metal  round  his  neck,  and 
he  dispensed  liberal  presents  among  his  followers.  What 
ever  trifles  Columbus  gave  in  return  were  regarded  with 
reverence,  as  celestial  gifts,  and  were  said  by  the  Indians 
to  have  come  from  Turcy,  or  heaven. 

The  extreme  kindness  of  the  cacique,  the  gentleness  of 
his  people,  and  the  quantities  of  gold  daily  brought  by 
the  natives,  and  exchanged  for  trifles,  contributed  to  con 
sole  Columbus  for  his  misfortunes.  When  Guacanagari 


NATIVES   DANCING. 
Redrawn  from  Gottfried?*  "  Newe 


94  THE  LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

perceived  the  great  value  which  the  Admiral  attached  to 
gold,  he  assured  him,  by  signs,  that  there  was  a  place 
not  far  off,  among  the  mountains,  where  it  abounded  to 
such  a  degree  as  to  be  regarded  with  indifference;  and 
he  promised  to  procure  him,  from  thence,  as  much  as 
he  desired.  Columbus  gathered  many  other  particulars 
concerning  this  golden  region.  It  was  called  Cibao,  and 
lay  among  high  and  rugged  mountains.  The  cacique  who 
ruled  over  it  owned  many  rich  mines,  and  had  banners  of 
wrought  gold.  Columbus  fancied  that  the  name  of  Cibao 
must  be  a  corruption  of  Cipango,  and  flattered  himself 
that  this  was  the  very  island  productive  of  gold  and 
spices,  mentioned  by  Marco  Polo. 

Three  houses  had  been  given  to  the  shipwrecked  crew 
for  their  residence.  Here,  living  on  shore,  and  mingling 
freely  with  the  natives,  they  became  fascinated  by  their 
easy  and  idle  mode  of  life.  They  were  governed  by 
their  caciques  with  an  absolute  but  patriarchal  and  easy 
rule,  and  existed  in  that  state  of  primitive  and  savage 
simplicity  which  some  philosophers  have  fondly  pictured 
as  the  most  enviable  on  earth.  "  It  is  certain,"  says  old 
Peter  Martyr,  "that  the  land  among  these  people  is  as 
common  as  the  sun  and  water ;  and  that  '  mine  and  thine,' 
the  seeds  of  all  mischief,  have  no  place  with  them.  They 
are  content  with  so  little  that,  in  so  large  a  country,  they 
have  rather  superfluity  than  scarceness  ;  so  that  they  seem 
to  live  in  a  golden  world,  without  toil,  in  open  gardens, 
neither  intrenched,  nor  shut  up  by  walls  or  hedges.  They 
deal  truly  with  one  another,  without  laws  or  books  or 
judges."  In  fact,  they  seemed  to  disquiet  themselves 
about  nothing;  a  few  fields,  cultivated  almost  without 
labor,  furnished  roots  and  vegetables,  their  groves  were 
laden  with  delicious  fruit,  and  the  coast  and  rivers  abound 
ed  with  fish.  Softened  by  the  indulgence  of  nature,  a 


9  THE  LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

great  part  of  the  day  was  passed  by  them  in  indolent  re 
pose,  in  that  luxury  of  sensation  inspired  by  a  serene  sky 
and  voluptuous  climate,  and  in  the  evening  they  danced 
in  their  fragrant  groves,  to  their  national  songs,  or  the 
rude  sound  of  their  sylvan  drums. 

When  the  Spanish  mariners  looked  back  upon  their 
own  toilsome  and  painful  life,  and  reflected  upon  the 
cares  and  hardships  that  must  still  be  their  lot  should 
they  return  to  Europe,  they  regarded  with  a  wistful  eye 
the  easy  and  idle  existence  of  these  Indians,  and  many 
of  them,  representing  to  the  Admiral  the  difficulty  and 
danger  of  embarking  so  many  persons  in  one  small  caravel, 
entreated  permission  to  remain  in  the  island.  The  request 
immediately  suggested  to  Columbus  the  idea  of  forming 
the  germ  of  a  future  colon}7.  The  wreck  of  the  caravel 
would  furnish  materials  and  arms  for  a  fortress  ;  and  the 
people  who  should  remain  in  the  island  could  explore  it. 
learn  the  language  of  the  natives,  and  collect  gold,  while 
the  Admiral  returned  to  Spain  for  re-enforcements.  Gua- 
canagari  was  overjoyed  at  finding  that  some  of  these 
wonderful  strangers  were  to  remain  for  the  defence  of 
his  island,  and  that  the  Admiral  intended  to  revisit  it. 
He  readily  gave  permission  to  build  the  fort,  and  his  sub 
jects  eagerly  aided  in  its  construction,  little  dreaming 
that  they  were  assisting  to  place  on  their  necks  the  gall 
ing  yoke  of  perpetual  and  toilsome  slavery. 

While  thus  employed,  a  report  was  brought  to  Colum 
bus,  by  certain  Indians,  that  another  ship  was  at  anchor 
in  a  river  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  island  ;  he  concluded 
it  of  course  to  be  the  "  Pinta,"  and  immediately  dispatched 
a  canoe  in  quest  of  it,  with  a  letter  for  Pinzon,  urging 
him  to  rejoin  him  immediately.  The  canoe  coasted  the 
island  for  thirty  leagues,  but  returned  without  having 
heard  or  seen  anything  of  the  "  Pinta,"  and  all  the  anxiety 


COMPLETES   THE  FORTRESS  OF  LA   N AVID  AD.     97 

of  the  Admiral  was  revived ;  should  that  vessel  be  lost, 
the  whole  success  of  his  expedition  would  depend  on  the 
return  of  his  own  crazy  bark,  across  an  immense  expanse 
of  ocean,  where  the  least  accident  might  bury  it  in  the 
deep,  and  with  it  all  record  of  his  discovery.  He  dared 
not,  therefore,  prolong  his  voyage,  and  explore  those  mag 
nificent  regions  which  seemed  to  invite  on  every  hand, 
but  determined  to  return  immediately  to  Spain. 

So  great  was  the  activity  of  the  Spaniards  and  the 
assistance  of  the  natives,  that  in  ten  days  the  fortress 
was  completed.  It  consisted  of  a  strong  wooden  tower, 
with  a  vault  beneath,  and  the  whole  surrounded  by  a 
wide  ditch.  It  was  supplied  with  the  ammunition,  and 
mounted  with  the  cannon  saved  from  the  wreck,  and  was 
considered  sufficient  to  overawe  and  repulse  the  whole 
of  this  naked  and  unwarlike  people.  Columbus  gave  the 
fortress  and  harbor  the  name  of  La  Navidad,  or  the 
Nativity,  in  memorial  of  having  been  preserved  from  the 
wreck  of  his  ship  on  Christmas  day.  From  the  number 
of  volunteers  that  offered  to  remain,  he  selected  thirty- 
nine  of  the  most  trustworthy,  putting  them  under  the 
command  of  Diego  de  Arana,  notary  and  alguazil  of  the 
armament.  In  case  of  his  death,  Pedro  Gutierrez  was 
to  take  the  command,  and  he,  in  like  case,  to  be  succeeded 
by  Rodrigo  de  Escobido.  He  charged  the  men,  in  the 
most  emphatic  manner,  to  be  obedient  to  their  com 
manders,  respectful  to  Guacanagari  and  his  chieftains, 
and  circumspect  and  friendly  in  their  intercourse  with 
the  natives.  He  warned  them  not  to  scatter  themselves 
asunder,  as  their  safety  would  depend  upon  their  united 
force,  and  not  to  stray  beyond  the  territory  of  the 
friendly  cacique.  He  enjoined  it  upon  Arana  and  the 
other  commanders  to  employ  themselves  in  gaining  a 
knowledge  of  the  island,  in  amassing  gold  and  spices, 
7 


98  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

and  in  searching  for  a  more  safe  and  convenient  harbor 
for  that  settlement 

Before  his  departure  he  gave  the  natives  another  mili 
tary  exhibition,  to  increase  their  awe  of  the  prowess  of 
the  white  men.  The  Spaniards  performed  skirmishes 
and  mock  fights,  with  swords,  bucklers,  lances,  cross 
bows,  and  firearms.  The  Indians  were  astonished  at  the 
keenness  of  the  steeled  weapons,  and  the  deadly  power 
of  the  crossbows  and  muskets;  but  nothing  equaled 
their  awe  and  admiration  when  the  cannon  were  dis 
charged  from  the  fortress,  wrapping  it  in  smoke,  shaking 
the  forests  with  their  thunder,  and  shivering  the  stoutest 
trees. 

When  Columbus  took  leave  of  Guacanagari,  the  kind- 
hearted  cacique  shed  many  tears,  for,  while  he  had  been 
awed  by  the  dignified  demeanor  of  the  Admiral,  and  the 
idea  of  his  superhuman  nature,  he  had  been  completely 
won  by  the  benignity  of  his  manners.  The  seamen  too 
had  made  many  pleasant  connections  among  the  Indians, 
and  they  parted  with  mutual  regret.  The  sorest  parting, 
however,  was  with  their  comrades  who  remained  behind, 
from  that  habitual  attachment  formed  by  a  companion 
ship  in  perils  and  adventures.  When  the  signal  gun  was 
fired,  they  gave  a  parting  cheer  to  the  gallant  handful 
of  volunteers  thus  left  in  the  wilderness  of  an  unknown 
world,  who  echoed  their  cheering  as  they  gazed  wist 
fully  after  them  from  the  beach,  but  who  were  destined 
never  to  welcome  their  return. 


DEPARTURE  FOR   SPAIN.  99 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

RETURN      VOYAGE.— VIOLENT      STORMS.— ARRIVAL      AT 
PORTUGAL.      [1493.] 

IT  was  on  the  4th  of  January  that  Columbus  set  sail 
from  La  Navidad,  on  his  return  to  Spain.  On  the  6th,  as 
he  was  beating  along  the  coast,  with  a  head  wind,  a  sailor 
at  the  masthead  cried  out  that  there  was  a  sail  at  a  dis 
tance,  standing  towards  them.  To  their  great  joy  it 
proved  to  be  the  "  Pinta,"  which  came  sweeping  before 
the  wind  with  flowing  canvas.  On  joining  the  Admiral, 
Pinzon  endeavored  to  excuse  his  desertion  by  saying 
that  he  had  been  separated  from  him  by  .stress  of  weath 
er,  and  had  ever  since  been  seeking  him.  Columbus 
listened  passively  but  incredulously  to  these  excuses, 
avoiding  any  words  that  might  produce  altercations,  and 
disturb  the  remainder  of  the  voyage.  He  ascertained, 
afterwards,  that  Pinzon  had  parted  company  intentionally, 
and  had  steered  directly  east,  in  quest  of  a  region  where 
the  Indians  on  board  of  his  vessel  had  assured  him  he 
would  find  gold  in  abundance.  They  had  guided  him 
to  Hispaniola,  where  he  had  been  for  some  time  in  a 
river  about  fifteen  leagues  east  of  La  Navidad,  trading 
with  the  natives.  He  had  collected  a  large  quantity  of 
gold,  one-half  of  which  he  retained  as  captain,  the  rest 
he  divided  among  his  men  to  secure  their  secrecy  and 
fidelity.  On  leaving  the  river  he  had  carried  off  four 
Indian  men  and  two  girls,  to  be  sold  in  Spain. 

Columbus  sailed  for  this  river,  to  which  he  gave  the 
name  of  Rio  de  Gracia,  but  it  long  continued  to  be 
known  as  the  river  of  Martin  Alonzo.  Here  he  ordered 


IOO  THE  LIFE   OF   COLUMBUS. 

the  four  men  and  two  girls  to  be  dismissed,  well  clothed 
and  with  many  presents,  to  atone  for  the  wrong  they 
had  experienced,  and  to  allay  the  hostile  feeling  it  might 
have  caused  among  the  natives.  This  restitution  was 
not  made  without  great  unwillingness  and  many  angry 
words  on  the  part  of  Pinzon. 

After  standing  for  some  distance  further  along  the 
coast  they  anchored  in  a  vast  bay,  or  rather  gulf,  three 
leagues  in  breadth,  and  extending  so  far  inland  that  Co 
lumbus  at  first  supposed  it  to  be  an  arm  of  the  sea.  Here 
he  was  visited  by  the  people  of  the  mountains  of  Ciguay, 
a  hardy  and  warlike  race,  quite  different  from  the  gentle 
and  peaceful  people  they  had  hitherto  met  with  on 
this  island.  They  were  of  fierce  aspect  and  hideously 
painted,  and  their  heads  were  decorated  with  feathers. 
They  had  bows  and  arrows,  war  clubs,  and  swords  made 
of  palm  wood,  so  hard  and  heavy  that  a  blow  from  them 
would  cleave  through  a  helmet  to  the  very  brain.  At 
the  first  sight  of  these  ferocious-looking  people  Colum 
bus  supposed  them  to  be  the  Caribs,  so  much  dreaded 
throughout  these  seas ;  but  on  asking  for  the  Caribbean 
Islands  the  Indians  still  pointed  to  the  eastward. 

With  these  people  the  Spaniards  had  a  skirmish,  in 
which  several  of  the  Indians  were  slain.  This  was  the 
first  contest  they  had  had  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  Ne\v 
World,  and  the  first  time  that  native  blood  had  been  shed 
by  white  men.  From  this  skirmish  Columbus  called  the 
place  El  Golfo  de  las  Fleches,  or,  the  gulf  of  Arrows  ;  but 
it  is  now  known  by  the  name  of  the  gulf  of  Samana.  He 
lamented  that  all  his  exertions  to  maintain  an  amicable 
intercourse  had  been  ineffectual,  and  anticipated  further 
hostility  on  the  part  of  the  natives  ;  but  on  the  following 
day  they  approached  the  Spaniards  as  freely  and  confi 
dently  as  if  nothing  had  happened;  the  cacique  came  on 


ADVERSE   WINDS.  2  CM 

board  with  only  three  attendants,  and  throughout  all  their 
subsequent  dealings  they  betrayed  no  signs  of  lurking  fear 
or  enmity.  This  frank  and  confiding  conduct,  so  indic 
ative  of  a  brave  and  generous  nature,  was  properly  appre 
ciated  by  Columbus ;  he  entertained  the  cacique  with 
great  distinction,  and  at  parting  made  many  presents  to 
him  and  his  attendants.  This  cacique  of  Ciguay  was 
named  Mayonabex,  and  in  subsequent  events  of  this  his 
tory  will  be  found  to  acquit  himself  with  valor  and  mag 
nanimity  under  the  most  trying  circumstances. 

Columbus,  on  leaving  the  bay,  took  four  young  Indians 
to  guide  him  to  the  Caribbean  Islands,  situated  to  the 
east,  of  which  they  gave  him  very  interesting  accounts, 
as  well  as  of  the  island  of  Mantinino,  said  to  be  inhabited 
by  Amazons.  A  favorable  breeze  sprang  up,  however, 
for  the  voyage  homewards,  and,  seeing  gloom  and  impa 
tience  in  the  countenances  of  his  men  at  the  idea  of 
diverging  from  their  route,  he  gave  up  his  intention 
of  visiting  these  islands  for  the  present,  and  made  all 
sail  for  Spain. 

The  trade  winds,  which  had  been  so  propitious  on  the 
outward  voyage,  were  equally  adverse  to  a  return.  The 
favorable  breeze  soon  died  away ;  light  winds  from  the 
east,  and  frequent  calms,  succeeded,  but  they  had  intervals 
of  favorable  weather,  and  by  the  I2th  of  February  they 
had  made  such  progress  as  to  begin  to  flatter  themselves 
with  the  hopes  of  soon  beholding  land.  The  wind  now 
came  on  to  blow  violently;  on  the  following  evening 
there  were  three  flashes  of  lightning  in  the  north-north 
east,  from  which  signs  Columbus  predicted  an  approach 
ing  tempest.  It  soon  burst  upon  them  with  frightful 
violence ;  their  small  and  crazy  vessels  were  little  fitted 
for  the  wild  storms  of  the  Atlantic  ;  all  night  they  were 
obliged  to  scud  under  bare  poles  at  the  mercy  of  the 


102  TH-E   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

elements.  As  the  morning  dawned  there  was  a  tran 
sient  pause,  and  they  made  a  little  sail,  but  the  wind  rose 
with  redoubled  fury  from  the  south  and  increased  in  the 
night,  the  vessels  laboring  terribly  in  a  cross  sea,  which 
threatened  at  each  moment  to  overwhelm  them,  or  dash 
them  to  pieces.  The  tempest  still  augmenting,  they  were 
obliged  again  to  scud  before  the  wind.  The  Admiral 
made  signal  lights  for  the  "  Pinta  "  to  keep  in  company; 
for  some  time  she  replied  by  similar  signals,  but  she 
was  separated  by  the  violence  of  the  storm  ;  her  lights 
gleamed  more  and  more  distant,  until  they  ceased  en 
tirely.  When  the  day  dawned  the  sea  presented  a  fright 
ful  waste  of  wild,  broken  waves,  lashed  into  fury  by  the 
gale  ;  Columbus  looked  round  anxiously  for  the  "  Pinta," 
but  she  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 

Throughout  a  dreary  day  the  helpless  bark  was  driven 
along  by  the  tempest.  Seeing  all  human  skill  baffled 
and  confounded,  Columbus  endeavored  to  propitiate 
Heaven  by  solemn  vows.  Lots  were  cast  to  perform 
pilgrimages  and  penitences,  most  of  which  fell  upon 
Columbus  ;  among  other  things,  he  was  to  perform  a 
solemn  mass,  and  to  watch  and  pray  all  night  in  the 
chapel  of  the  convent  of  Santa  Clara,  at  Moguer.  Vari 
ous  private  vows  were  made  by  the  seamen,  and  one  by 
the  Admiral  and  the  whole  crew,  that,  if  they  were  spared 
to  reach  the  land,  they  would  walk  in  procession,  bare 
footed,  and  in  their  shirts,  to  offer  up  thanksgivings  in 
some  church  dedicated  to  the  Virgin. 

The  heavens,  however,  seemed  deaf  to  all  their  vows; 
the  storm  grew  still  more  furious,  and  every  one  gave 
himself  up  for  lost.  During  this  long  and  awful  conflict 
of  the  elements,  the  mind  of  Columbus  was  a  prey  to  the 
most  distressing  anxiety.  He  was  harassed  by  the  re- 
pinings  of  his  crew,  who  cursed  the  hour  of  their  leaving 


104  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

their  country,  and  their  want  of  resolution  in  not  com- 
pelling  him  to  abandon  the  voyage.  He  was  afflicted, 
also,  when  he  thought  of  his  two  sons,  who  would  be  left 
destitute  by  his  death.  But  he  had  another  source  of 
distress,  more  intolerable  than  death  itself.  It  was  highly 
probable  that  the  "  Pinta  "  had  foundered  in  the  storm. 
In  such  case,  the  history  of  his  discovery  would  depend 
upon  his  own  feeble  bark  ;  one  surge  of  the  ocean  might 
bury  it  forever  in  oblivion,  and  his  name  only  remain  as 
that  of  a  desperate  adventurer,  who  had  perished  in  pur 
suit  of  a  chimera. 

In  the  midst  of  these  gloomy  reflections  an  expedient 
suggested  itself,  by  which,  though  he  and  his  ships  might 
perish,  the  glory  of  his  achievement  might  survive  to  his 
name,  and  its  advantages  be  secured  to  his  sovereigns. 
He  wrote  on  parchment  a  brief  account  of  his  discovery, 
and  of  his  having  taken  possession  of  the  newly  found 
lands  in  the  name  of  their  Catholic  majesties.  This  he 
sealed  and  directed  to  the  king  and  queen,  and  super 
scribed  a  promise  of  a  thousand  ducats  to  whomsoever 
should  deliver  the  packet  unopened.  He  then  wrapped 
it  in  a  waxed  cloth,  which  he  placed  in  the  centre  of  a 
cake  of  wax,  and  inclosing  the  whole  in  a  cask,  threw  it 
into  the  sea.  A  copy  of  this  memorial  he  inclosed  in  a 
similar  manner,  and  placed  it  upon  the  poop  of  his  vessel, 
so  that,  should  the  caravel  sink,  the  cask  might  float  off 
and  survive. 

Happily,  these  precautions,  though  wise,  were  super 
fluous  ;  at  sunset  there  was  a  streak  of  clear  sky  in  the 
west,  the  wind  shifted  to  that  quarter,  and  on  the  morn 
ing  of  the  1 5th  of  February  they  came  in  sight  of  land. 
The  transports  of  the  crew  at  once  more  beholding  the 
old  world  were  almost  equal  to  those  they  had  experi 
enced  on  discovering  the  new.  For  two  or  three  days, 


LANDING   ON    THE   AZORES.  10$ 

however,  the  wind  again  became  contrary,  and  they 
remained  hovering  in  sight  of  land,  of  which  they  only 
caught  glimpses  through  the  mist  and  rack.  At  length 
they  came  to  anchor  at  the  island  of  St.  Mary's,  the  most 
southern  of  the  Azores,  and  a  possession  of  the  crown  of 
Portugal.  An  ungenerous  reception,  however,  awaited 
the  poor,  tempest-tossed  mariners,  on  their  return  to  the 
abode  of  civilized  man,  far  different  from  the  kindness 
and  hospitality  they  had  experienced  among  the  savages 
of  the  New  World.  Columbus  had  sent  one-half  of  the 
crew  on  shore,  to  fulfill  the  vow  of  a  barefooted  procession 
to  a  hermitage  or  chapel  of  the  Virgin,  which  stood  on  a 
solitary  part  of  the  coast,  and  awaited  their  return  to 
perform  the  same  ceremony  with  the  remainder  of  his 
crew.  Scarcely  had  they  begun  their  prayers  and  thanks 
giving,  when  a  party  of  horse  and  foot,  headed  by  the 
governor  of  the  island,  surrounded  the  hermitage  and  took 
them  all  prisoners.  The  real  object  of  this  outrage  was 
to  get  possession  of  the  person  of  Columbus ;  for  the 
King  of  Portugal,  jealous  lest  his  enterprise  might  inter 
fere  with  his  own  discoveries,  had  sent  orders  to  his  com 
manders  of  islands  and  distant  ports  to  seize  and  detain 
him  wherever  he  should  be  met  with. 

Having  failed  in  this  open  attempt,  the  governor  next 
endeavored  to  get  Columbus  in  his  power  by  stratagem, 
but  was  equally  unsuccessful.  A  violent  altercation  took 
place  between  them,  and  Columbus  threatened  him  with 
the  vengeance  of  his  sovereigns.  At  length,  after  two  or 
three  days'  detention,  the  sailors  who  had  been  captured 
in  the  chapel  were  released  ;  the  governor  pretended  to 
have  acted  through  doubts  of  Columbus  having  a  regular 
commission,  but  that  being  now  convinced  of  his  being 
in  the  service  of  the  Spanish  sovereigns,  he  was  ready 
to  yield  him  every  service  in  his  power.  The  Admiral 


106  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

did  not  put  his  offers  to  the  proof.  The  wind  became 
favorable  for  the  continuation  of  his  voyage,  and  he  again 
set  sail,  on  the  24th  of  February.  After  two  or  three 
days  of  pleasant  sailing  there  was  a  renewal  of  tem 
pestuous  weather.  About  midnight  of  the  2d  of  March 
the  caravel  was  struck  by  a  squall,  which  rent  all  her  sails, 
and  threatened  instant  destruction.  The  crew  were  again 
reduced  to  despair,  and  made  vows  of  fastings  and  pil 
grimages.  The  storm  raged  throughout  the  succeeding 
day,  during  which,  from  various  signs,  they  considered 
themselves  in  the  vicinity  of  land,  which  they  supposed 
must  be  the  coast  of  Portugal.  The  turbulence  of  the 
following  night  was  dreadful.  The  sea  was  broken,  wild, 
and  mountainous,  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  and  the  light 
ning  flashed  and  the  thunder  pealed  from  various  parts 
of  the  heavens. 

In  the  first  watch  of  this  fearful  night  the  seamen  gave 
the  usually  welcome  cry  of  land,  but  it  only  increased 
their  alarm,  for  they  were  ignorant  of  their  situation,  and 
dreaded  being  driven  on  shore  or  dashed  upon  the  rocks. 
Taking  in  sail,  therefore,  they  endeavored  to  keep  to  sea 
as  much  as  possible.  At  daybreak  on  the  4th  of  March 
they  found  themselves  off  the  rock  of  Cintra,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Tagus.  Though  distrustful  of  the  good-will 
of  Portugal,  Columbus  had  no  alternative  but  to  run  in  for 
shelter,  and  he  accordingly  anchored  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  river,  opposite  to  Rastello.  The  inhabitants  came 
off  from  various  parts  of  the  shore,  to  congratulate  him  on 
what  they  deemed  a  miraculous  preservation,  for  they 
had  been  watching  the  vessel  the  whole  morning  with 
great  anxiety,  and  putting  up  prayers  for  her  safety. 
The  oldest  mariners  of  the  place  assured  him  that  they 
had  never  known  so  tempestuous  a  winter.  Such  were 
the  difficulties  and  perils  with  which  Columbus  had  to 


ARRIVAL  IN  PORTUGAL.  IO/ 

contend  on  his  return  to  Europe ;  had  one-tenth  part  of 
them  beset  his  outward  voyage,  his  factious  crew  would 
have  risen  in  arms  against  the  enterprise,  and  he  never 
would  have  discovered  the  New  World. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

VISIT    OF    COLUMBUS    TO    THE   COURT   OF   PORTUGAL.— 
ARRIVAL  AT   PALOS.      [1493.] 

IMMEDIATELY  on  his  arrival  in  the  Tagus,  Columbus 
despatched  a  courier  to  the  king  and  queen  of  Spain, 
with  tidings  of  his  discovery.  He  wrote  also  to  the 
king  of  Portugal,  entreating  permission  to  go  to  Lisbon 
with  his  vessel,  as  a  report  had  got  abroad  that  she  was 
laden  with  gold,  and  he  felt  himself  insecure  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  a  place  like  Rastello,  inhabited  by  needy  and 
adventurous  people.  A^t^the  same  time  he  stated  the 
route  and  events  of  his  voyage,  lest  the  king  should  sus 
pect  him  of  having  been  in  the  route  of  the  Portuguese 
discoveries. 

The  tidings  of  this  wonderful  bark,  freighted  with 
the  people  and  productions  of  a  newly  discovered  world, 
filled  all  Lisbon  with  astonishment.  For  several  days 
the  Tagus  was  covered  with  barges  and  boats  going  to 
and  from  it.  Among  the  visitors  were  various  officers 
of  the  crow*Lvand  cavaliers  of  high  distinction.  All  hung 
with  rapt  attention  upon  the  accounts  of  the  voyage, 
and  gazed  with  insatiable  curiosity  upon  the  plants  and 
animals,  and,  above  all,  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the  New 
World.  The  enthusiasm  of  some,  and  the  avarice  of 
others,  was  excited,  while  many  repined  at  the  incredulity 


108  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

of  the  king  and  his  counsellors,  by  which  so  grand  a  dis 
covery  had  been  forever  lost  to  Portugal. 

On  the  8th  of  March  Columbus  received  a  message 
from  King  John,  congratulating  him  upon  his  arrival,  and 
inviting  him  to  the  court  at  Valparaiso,  about  nine  leagues 
from  Lisbon.  The  king  at  the  same  time  ordered  that 
anything  which  the  Admiral  required  for  himself  or  his 
vessel  should  be  furnished  free  of  cost. 

Columbus  distrusted  the  good  faith  of  the  king,  and  set 
out  reluctantly  for  the  court  ;  but  his  reception  was  what 
might  have  been  expected  from  an  enlightened  and  liberal 
prince.  On  approaching  the  royal  residence  he  was  met 
by  the  principal  personages  of  the  king's  household,  and 
conducted  with  great  ceremony  to  the  palace.  The  king 
welcomed  him  to  Portugal,  and  congratulated  him  on  the 
glorious  result  of  his  enterprise.  He  ordered  him  to  seat 
himself  in  his  presence,  an  honor  only  granted  to  persons 
of  royal  dignity,  and  assured  him  that  everything  in  his 
kingdom  was  at  the  service  of  his  sovereigns  and  himself. 
They  had  repeated  conversations  about  the  events  of  the 
voyage,  and  the  king  made  minute  inquiries  as  to  the 
soil,  productions,  and  people  of  the  newly  discovered 
countries,  and  the  routes  by  which  Columbus  had  sailed. 
The  king  listened  with  seeming  pleasure  to  his  replies, 
but  was  secretly  grieved  at  the  thought  that  this  splen 
did  enterprise  had  been  offered  to  him  and  refused.  He 
was  uneasy,  also,  lest  this  undefined  discovery  should  in 
some  way  interfere  with  his  own  territories,  compre 
hended  in  the  papal  bull  which  granted  to  the  crown  of 
Portugal  all  the  lands  it  should  discover  from  Cape  Non 
to  the  Indies. 

On  suggesting  these  doubts  to  his  counsellors,  they 
eagerly  encouraged  them,  for  some  of  them  w-ere  the  very 
persons  who  had  scoffed  at  Columbus  as  a  dreamer,  and 


JEALOUSY  OF   THE  KING   OF  PORTUGAL.          109 

his  success  covered  them  with  confusion.  They  declared 
that  the  color,  hair,  and  manners  of  the  natives  brought 
in  the  caravel  agreed  exactly  with  the  descriptions  given 
of  the  people  of  that  part  of  India  granted  to  Portugal 
by  the  papal  bull.  Others  observed  that  there  was  but  lit 
tle  distance  between  the  Terceira  Islands  and  those  which 
Columbus  had  discovered  ;  the  latter,  therefore,  clearly 
belonged  to  Portugal.  Others  endeavored  to  awaken 
the  anger  of  the  king,  by  declaring  that  Columbus  had 
talked  in  an  arrogant  and  vainglorious  tone  of  his  dis 
covery,  merely  to  revenge  himself  upon  the  monarch  for 
having  rejected  his  propositions. 

Seeing  the  king  deeply  perturbed  in  spirit,  some  even 
went  so  far  as  to  propose,  as  an  effectual  means  of 
impeding  the  prosecution  of  these  enterprises,  that  Co 
lumbus  should  be  assassinated.  It  would  be  an  easy 
matter  to  take  advantage  of  his  lofty  deportment,  to 
pique  his  pride,  provoke  him  to  an  altercation,  and  sud 
denly  dispatch  him  as  if  in  casual  and  honorable  en 
counter. 

Happily,  the  king  had  too  much  magnanimity  to  adopt 
such  wicked  and  dastardly  counsel.  Though  secretly 
grieved  and  mortified  that  the  rival  power  of  Spain  should 
have  won  this  triumph  which  he  had  rejected,  yet  he  did 
justice  to  the  great  merit  of  Columbus,  and  honored  him 
as  a  distinguished  benefactor  to  mankind.  He  felt  it 
his  duty,  also,  as  a  generous  prince,  to  protect  all  strangers 
driven  by  adverse  fortune  to  his  ports.  Others  of  his 
council  advised  that  he  should  secretly  fit  out  a  powerful 
armament,  and  dispatch  it,  under  guidance  of  two  Por 
tuguese  mariners  who  had  sailed  with  Columbus,  to  take 
possession  of  the  newly  discovered  country;  he  might 
then  settle  the  question  of  right  with  Spain  by  an  appeal 
to  arms.  This  counsel,  in  which  there  was  a  mixture  of 


1 10  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

courage  and  craft,  was  more  relished  by  the  king,  and  he 
resolved  to  put  it  promptly  in  execution. 

In  the  meantime  Columbus,  after  being  treated  with 
the  most  honorable  attentions,  was  escorted  back  to  his 
ship  by  a  numerous  train  of  cavaliers  of  the  court,  and 
on  the  way  paid  a  visit  to  the  queen  at  a  monastery  of 
San  Antonio  at  Villa  Franca,  where  he  was  listened  to 
with  wonder,  as  he  related  the  events  of  his  voyage  to 
her  majesty  and  the  ladies  of  her  court.  The  king  had 
offered  him  a  free  passage  by  land  to  Spain,  at  the  royal 
expense,  but  as  the  weather  had  moderated,  he  preferred 
to  return  in  his  caravel.  Putting  to  sea  on  the  I3th  of 
March,  therefore,  he  arrived  safely  at  Palos  on  the  I5th, 
having  taken  not  quite  seven  months  and  a  half  to 
accomplish  this  most  momentous  of  all  maritime  enter 
prises. 

The  triumphant  return  of  Columbus  was  a  prodigious 
event  in  the  little  community  of  Palos,  every  member  of 
which  was  more  or  less  interested  in  the  fate  of  the  expe 
dition.  Many  had  lamented  their  friends  as  lost,  while 
imagination  had  lent  mysterious  horrors  to  their  fate. 
When,  therefore,  they  beheld  one  of  the  adventurous 
vessels  furling  her  sails  in  their  harbor,  from  the  dis 
covery  of  a  world,  the  whole  community  broke  forth 
into  a  transport  of  joy,  the  bells  were  rung,  the  shops 
shut,  and  all  business  suspended.  Columbus  landed,  and 
walked  in  procession  to  the  church  of  St.  George,  to 
return  thanks  to  God  for  his  safe  arrival.  Wherever 
lie  passed  the  air  rang  with  acclamations,  and  he  received 
such  honors  as  are  paid  to  sovereigns.  What  a  contrast 
was  this  to  his  departure  a  few  months  before,  followed 
by  murmurs  and  execrations;  or  rather,  what  a  contrast 
to  his  first  arrival  at  Palos,  a  poor  pedestrian,  craving 
bread  and  water  for  his  child  at  the  gate  of  a  convent  ! 


PINZON  ARRIVES  A  T  PALOS.  1 1 1 

Understanding  that  the  court  was  at  Barcelona,  he  at 
first  felt  disposed  to  proceed  there  in  the  caravel,  but, 
reflecting  on  the  dangers  and  disasters  of  his  recent 
voyage,  he  gave  up  the  idea,  and  dispatched  a  letter  to 
the  sovereigns,  informing  them  of  his  arrival.  He  then 
departed  for  Seville  to  await  their  reply.  It  arrived 
within  a  few  days,  and  was  as  gratifying  as  his  heart 
could  have  desired.  The  sovereigns  were  dazzled  and 
astonished  by  this  sudden  and  easy  acquisition  of  a  new 
empire  of  indefinite  extent,  and  apparently  boundless 
wealth.  They  addressed  Columbus  by  his  titles  of  Ad 
miral  and  Viceroy,  promising  him  still  greater  rewards, 
and  urging  him  to  repair  immediately  to  court  to  con 
cert  plans  for  a  second  and  more  extensive  expedition. 

It  is  fitting  here  to  speak  a  word  of  the  fate  of  Martin 
Alonzo  Pinzon.  By  a  singular  coincidence,  which  ap 
pears  to  be  well  authenticated,  he  anchored  at  Palos  on 
the  evening  of  the  same  day  that  Columbus  had  arrived. 
He  had  been  driven  by  the  storm  into  the  Bay  of  Biscay, 
and  had  made  the  port  of  Bayonne.  Doubting  whether 
Columbus  had  survived  the  tempest,  he  had  immediately 
written  to  the  sovereigns,  giving  an  account  of  the  dis 
covery,  and  requesting  permission  to  come  to  court  and 
relate  the  particulars  in  person.  As  soon  as  the  weather 
was  favorable  he  again  set  sail,  anticipating  a  trium 
phant  reception  in  his  native  port  of  Palos.  When,  on 
entering  the  harbor,  he  beheld  the  vessel  of  the  Admiral 
riding  at  anchor,  and  learned  the  enthusiasm  with  which  he 
had  been  received,  his  heart  died  within  him.  It  is  said 
he  feared  to  meet  Columbus  in  this  hour  of  his  triumph, 
lest  he  should  put  him  under  arrest  for  his  desertion  on 
the  coast  of  Cuba ;  but  this  is  not  likely,  for  he  was  a 
man  of  too  much  resolution  to  yield  to  such  a  fear.  It 
is  more  probable  that  a  consciousness  of  his  misconduct 


112  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

made  him  unwilling  to  appear  before  the  public  in  the 
midst  of  their  enthusiasm  for  Columbus,  and  to  witness 
the  honors  heaped  upon  a  man  whose  superiority  he  had 
been  so  unwilling  to  acknowledge.  Whatever  may  have 
been  his  motive,  it  is  said  that  he  landed  privately  in  his 
boat,  and  kept  out  of  sight  until  the  departure  of  the 
Admiral,  when  he  returned  to  his  home,  broken  in  health, 
and  deeply  dejected,  awaiting  the  reply  of  the  sovereigns 
to  his  letter.  The  reply  at  length  arrived,  forbidding 
his  coming  to  court,  and  severely  reproaching  him  for 
his  conduct.  This  letter  completed  his  humiliation  ;  the 
wounds  of  his  feelings  gave  virulence  to  his  bodily 
malady,  and  in  a  few  days  he  died,  a  victim  to  grief 
and  repentance. 

Let  no  one,  however,  indulge  in  harsh  censures  over 
the  grave  of  Pinzon.  His  merits  and  services  are  en 
titled  to  the  highest  praise  ;  his  errors  should  be  regarded 
with  indulgence.  He  was  one  of  the  first  in  Spain  to 
appreciate  the  project  of  Columbus,  animating  him  by 
his  concurrence,  and  aiding  him  with  his  purse  when 
poor  and  unknown  at  Palos.  He  afterwards  enabled 
him  to  procure  and  fit  out  his  ships,  when  even  the 
mandates  of  the  sovereigns  were  ineffectual ;  and  finally 
he  embarked  in  the  expedition  with  his  brothers  and 
friends,  staking  life,  property,  everything,  upon  the 
event.  He  had  thus  entitled  himself  to  participate  largely 
in  the  glory  of  this  immortal  enterprise,  when,  unfor 
tunately,  forgetting  for  a  moment  the  grandeur  of  the 
cause  and  the  implicit  obedience  due  to  his  commander, 
he  yielded  to  the  incitements  of  self-interest,  and  was 
guilty  of  that  act  of  insubordination  which  has  cast  a 
shade  upon  his  name.  Much  may  be  said,  however, 
in  extenuation  of  his  fault  ;  his  consciousness  of  having 
rendered  great  services  to  the  expedition  and  of  pos- 


JOURNEY   TO  BARCELONA.  113 

sessing  property  in  the  ships,  and  his  habits  of  command, 
which  rendered  him  impatient  of  control.  That  he  was 
a  man  naturally  of  generous  sentiments  and  honorable 
ambition  is  evident  from  the  poignancy  with  which  he 
felt  the  disgrace  drawn  upon  him  by  his  conduct.  A 
mean  man  would  not  have  fallen  a  victim  to  self-upbraid 
ing  for  having  been  convicted  of  a  mean  action.  His 
story  shows  how  one  lapse  from  duty  may  counterbalance 
the  merits  of  a  thousand  services ;  how  one  moment  of 
weakness  may  mar  the  beauty  of  a  whole  life  of  virtue ; 
and  how  important  it  is  for  a  man,  under  all  circum 
stances,  to  be  true,  not  merely  to  others,  but  to  himself. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

RECEPTION   OF  COLUMBUS  BY  THE   SPANISH  SOVEREIGNS 
AT   BARCELONA.      [1493.] 

THE  journey  of  Columbus  to  Barcelona  was  like  the 
progress  of  a  sovereign.  Wherever  he  passed,  the  sur 
rounding  country  poured  forth  its  inhabitants,  who  lined 
the  road  and  thronged  the  villages,  rending  the  air  with 
acclamations.  In  the  large  towns  the  streets,  windows, 
and  balconies  were  filled  with  spectators,  eager  to  gain  a 
sight  of  him,  and  of  the  Indians  whom  he  carried  with 
him,  who  were  regarded  with  as  much  astonishment  as  if 
they  had  been  natives  of  another  planet. 

It  was  about  the  middle  of  April  that  he  arrived  at 
Barcelona,  and  the  beauty  and  serenity  of  the  weather, 
in  that  genial  season  and  favored  climate,  contributed 
to  give  splendor  to  the  memorable  ceremony  of  his  re 
ception.  As  he  drew  near  the  place,  many  of  the  youth- 
8 


H4  THE  LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

ful  courtiers  and  cavaliers,  followed  by  a  vast  concourse 
of  the  populace,  came  forth  to  meet  him.  His  entrance 
into  this  noble  city  has  been  compared  to  one  of  those 
triumphs  which  the  Romans  were  accustomed  to  decree  to 
conquerors.  First  were  paraded  the  six  Indians,  painted 
according  to  their  savage  fashion,  and  decorated  with 
their  ornaments  of  gold.  After  these  were  borne  various 
kinds  of  live  parrots,  together  with  stuffed  birds  and  ani 
mals  of  unknown  species,  and  rare  plants  supposed  to  be 
of  precious  qualities ;  while  especial  care  was  taken  to 
display  the  Indian  coronets,  bracelets,  and  other  decora 
tions  of  gold,  which  might  give  an  idea  of  the  wealth  of  the 
newly  discovered  regions.  After  this  followed  Columbus, 
on  horseback,  surrounded  by  a  brilliant  cavalcade  of  Span 
ish  chivalry.  The  streets  were  almost  impassable  from 
the  multitude  ;  the  houses,  even  to  the  very  roofs,  were 
crowded  with  spectators.  It  seemed  as  if  the  public  eye 
could  not  be  sated  with  gazing  at  these  trophies  of  an 
unknown  world,  or  on  the  remarkable  man  by  whom  it 
had  been  discovered.  There  was  a  sublimity  in  this  event 
that  mingled  a  solemn  feeling  with  the  public  joy.  It  was 
considered  a  signal  dispensation  of  Providence  in  reward 
for  the  piety  of  the  sovereigns  ;  and  the  majestic  and 
venerable  appearance  of  the  discoverer,  so  different  from 
the  youth  and  buoyancy  that  generally  accompany  roving 
enterprise,  seemed  in  harmony  with  the  grandeur  and 
dignity  of  the  achievement. 

To  receive  him  with  suitable  distinction  the  sovereigns 
had  ordered  their  throne  to  be  placed  in  public,  under  a 
rich  canopy  of  brocade  of  gold,  where  they  awaited  his 
arrival,  seated  in  state,  with  Prince  Juan  beside  them,  and 
surrounded  by  their  principal  nobility.  Columbus  ar 
rived  in  their  presence,  accompanied  by  a  brilliant  crowd 
of  cavaliers,  among  whom,  we  are  told,  he  was  conspicuous 


RECEPTION  OF  COLUMBUS    AT   BARCELONA.       RETURN   FROM  FIRST 

VOYAGE. 
From  an  eld  frint. 


Il6  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

for  his  stately  and  commanding  person,  which,  with  his 
venerable  gray  hairs,  gave  him  the  august  appearance  of 
a  senator  of  Rome.  A  modest  smile  lighted  up  his  coun 
tenance,  showing  that  he  enjoyed  the  state  and  glory  in 
which  he  came ;  and  certainly  nothing  could  be  more 
deeply  moving  to  a  mind  inflamed  by  noble  ambition, 
and  conscious  of  having  nobly  deserved,  than  these  tes 
timonials  of  the  admiration  and  gratitude  of  a  nation, 
or  rather  of  a  world.  On  his  approach  the  sovereigns 
rose,  as  if  receiving  a  person  of  the  highest  rank.  Bend 
ing  on  his  knees,  he  would  have  kissed  their  hands  in 
token  of  vassalage,  but  they  raised  him  in  the  most 
gracious  manner,  and  ordered  him  to  seat  himself  in 
their  presence — a  rare  honor  in  this  proud  and  punc 
tilious  court. 

He  now  gave  an  account  of  the  most  striking  events  of 
his  voyage,  and  displayed  the  various  productions  and  the 
native  inhabitants  which  he  had  brought  from  the  new 
world.  He  assured  their  majesties  that  all  these  were 
but  harbingers  of  greater  discoveries  which  he  had  yet 
to  make,  which  would  add  realms  of  incalculable  wealth 
to  their  dominions,  and  whole  nations  of  proselytes  to 
the  true  faith. 

When  Columbus  had  finished,  the  king  and  queen  sank 
on  their  knees,  raised  their  hands  to  heaven,  and,  with 
eyes  filled  with  tears  of  joy  and  gratitude,  poured  forth 
thanks  and  praises  to  God.  All  present  followed  their 
example  ;  a  deep  and  solemn  enthusiasm  pervaded  that 
splendid  assembly  and  prevented  all  common  acclama 
tions  of  triumph.  The  anthem  of  Te  Demn  laudamus, 
chanted  by  the  choir  of  the  royal  chapel,  with  the  melo 
dious  accompaniments  of  instruments,  rose  up  from  the 
midst  in  a  full  body  of  harmony,  bearing  up,  as  it  were, 
the  feelings  and  thoughts  of  the  auditors  to  heaven. 


MARKS  OF  ROYAL   FAVOR.  HJ 

Such  was  the  solemn  and  pious  manner  in  which  the 
brilliant  court  of  Spain  celebrated  this  sublime  event ; 
offering  up  a  grateful  tribute  of  melody  and  praise, 
and  giving  glory  to  God  for  the  discovery  of  another 
world. 

While  the  mind  of  Columbus  was  excited  by  this  tri 
umph  and  teeming  with  splendid  anticipations,  his  pious 
scheme  for  the  deliverance  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  was 
not  forgotten.  Flushed  with  the  idea  of  the  vast  wealth 
that  must  accrue  to  himself  from  his  discoveries,  he  made 
a  vow  to  furnish,  within  seven  years,  an  army  of  four 
thousand  horse  and  fifty  thousand  foot,  for  a  crusade  to 
the  Holy  Land,  and  a  similar  force  within  the  five  follow 
ing  years.  It  is  essential  to  a  full  knowledge  of  the  char 
acter  and  motives  of  this  extraordinary  man,  that  this  vis 
ionary  project  should  be  borne  in  recollection.  It  shows 
how  much  his  mind  was  elevated  above  selfish  and  mer 
cenary  views,  and  filled  with  those  devout  and  heroic 
schemes  which,  in  the  time  of  the  crusades,  had  inflamed 
the  thoughts  and  directed  the  enterprises  of  the  bravest 
warriors  and  most  illustrious  princes. 

During  his  sojourn  at  Barcelona  the  sovereigns  took 
every  occasion  to  bestow  on  Columbus  the  highest  marks 
of  personal  consideration.  He  was  admitted  at  all  times 
to  the  royal  presence  ;  appeared  occasionally  with  the 
king  on  horseback,  riding  on  one  side  of  him,  while 
Prince  Juan  rode  on  the  other  side  ;  and  the  queen  de 
lighted  to  converse  familiarly  with  him  on  the  subject  of 
his  voyage.  To  perpetuate  in  his  family  the  glory  of  his 
achievement  a  coat  of  arms  was  given  him,  in  which  he 
was  allowed  to  quarter  the  royal  arms,  the  castle  and 
lion,  with  those  more  particularly  assigned  him,  which 
were  a  group  of  islands  surrounded  by  waves;  to  these 
arms  was  afterwards  annexed  the  motto : 


Il8  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS, 

A   CASTILLA    Y    A    LEON 
NUEVO    MUNDO    DIG    COLON. 

(To  Castile  and  Leon 
Columbus  gave  a  new  world.) 

The  pension  of  thirty  crowns,  which  had  been  decreed 
by  the  sovereigns   to   whomsoever   should   first    discover 


COLUMBUS    AND    THE   EGG. 
Front  De  Bry^s  "  Voyages" 

land,  was  adjudged  to  Columbus,  for  having  first  seen 
the  light  on  the  shore.  It  is  said  that  the  seaman  who 
first  descried  the  land  was  so  incensed  at  being  disap 
pointed  of  what  he  deemed  his  merited  reward,  that  he 
renounced  his  country  and  his  faith,  and,  crossing  into 
Africa,  turned  Mussulman  ;  an  anecdote,  however,  which 
rests  on  rather  questionable  authority. 

The    favor    shown    Columbus    by   the    sovereigns    in- 


COLUMBUS  AND    THE  EGG.  IIQ 

sured  him  for  a  time  the  caresses  of  the  nobility  ;  for,  in 
a  court,  every  one  is  eager  to  lavish  attentions  upon  the 
man  "  whom  the  king  delighteth  to  honor."  At  one  of 
the  banquets  which  were  given  him  occurred  the  well- 
known  circumstance  of  the  egg.  A  shallow  courtier 
present,  impatient  of  the  honors  paid  to  Columbus,  and 
meanly  jealous  of  him  as  a  foreigner,  abruptly  asked 
him  whether  he  thought  that,  in  case  he  had  not  discov 
ered  the  Indies,  there  would  have  been  wanting  men  in 
Spain  capable  of  the  enterprise.  To  this  Columbus  made 
no  direct  reply,  but,  taking  an  egg,  invited  the  company 
to  make  it  stand  upon  one  end.  Every  one  attempted 
it,  but  in  vain  ;  whereupon  he  struck  it  upon  the  table, 
broke  one  end,  and  left  it  standing  on  the  broken  part ; 
illustrating,  in  this  simple  manner,  that  when  he  had  once 
shown  the  way  to  the  New  World  nothing  was  easier  than 
to  follow  it. 

The  joy  occasioned  by  this  great  discovery  was  not 
confined  to  Spain  ;  the  whole  civilized  world  was  filled 
with  wonder  and  delight.  Every  one  rejoiced  in  it  as  an 
event  in  which  he  was  more  or  less  interested,  and  which 
opened  a  new  and  unbounded  field  for  inquiry  and  enter 
prise.  Men  of  learning  and  science  shed  tears  of  joy, 
and  those  of  ardent  imaginations  indulged  in  the  most 
extravagant  and  delightful  dreams.  Notwithstanding  all 
this  triumph,  however,  no  one  had  an  idea  of  the  real 
importance  of  the  discovery.  The  opinion  of  Columbus 
was  universally  adopted,  that  Cuba  was  the  end  of  the 
Asiatic  continent,  and  that  the  adjacent  islands  were  in 
the  Indian  Seas.  They  were  called,  therefore,  the  West 
Indies,  and  as  the  region  thus  discovered  appeared  to 
be  of  vast  and  indefinite  extent,  and  existing  in  a  state 
of  nature,  it  received  the  comprehensive  appellation  of 
"  the  New  World." 


120  THE   LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

PAPAL     BULL     OF      PARTITION. — PREPARATIONS     FOR     A 
SECOND    VOYAGE    OF   DISCOVERY.      [1493.] 

IN  the  midst  of  their  rejoicings  the  Spanish  sovereigns 
lost  no  time  in  taking  every  measure  to  secure  their  new 
acquisitions.  During  the  crusades  a  doctrine  had  been 
established  among  the  Christian  princes,  according  to 
which  the  pope,  from  his  supreme  authority  over  all 
temporal  things,  as  Christ's  vicar  on  earth,  was  consid 
ered  as  empowered  to  dispose  of  all  heathen  lands  to 
such  Christian  potentates  as  would  undertake  to  reduce 
them  to  the  dominion  of  the  Church,  and  to  introduce 
into  them  the  light  of  religion. 

Alexander  the  Sixth,  a  native  of  Valencia,  and  born  a 
subject  to  the  crown  of  Arragon,  had  recently  been  ele 
vated  to  the  papal  chair.  He  was  a  pontiff  whom  some 
historians  have  stigmatized  with  every  vice  and  crime  that 
could  disgrace  humanity,  but  whom  all  have  represented 
as  eminently  able  and  politic.  Ferdinand  was  well 
aware  of  his  worldly  and  perfidious  character,  and  en 
deavored  to  manage  him  accordingly.  He  dispatched 
ambassadors  to  him,  announcing  the  new  discovery  as  an 
extraordinary  triumph  of  the  faith,  and  a  vast  acquisition 
of  empire  to  the  Church.  He  took  care  to  state  that  it 
did  not  in  the  least  interfere  with  the  possessions  ceded 
by  the  Holy  Chair  to  Portugal,  all  which  had  been  sedu 
lously  avoided  ;  he  supplicated  his  Holiness,  therefore, 
to  issue  a  bull,  granting  to  the  crown  of  Castile  dominion 
over  all  those  lands,  and  such  others  as  might  be  discov 
ered  in  those  parts,  artfully  intimating,  at  the  same  time, 


FITTING   OUT  A    SECOND  EXPEDITION.  121 

his  determination  to  maintain  possession  of  them,  how 
ever  his  Holiness  might  decide.  No  difficulty  was  made 
in  granting  what  was  considered  but  a  reasonable  and 
modest  request,  though  it  is  probable  that  the  acquies 
cence  of  the  worldly-minded  pontiff  was  quickened  by  the 
insinuation  of  the  politic  monarch. 

A  bull  was  accordingly  issued,  dated  May  2,  1493,  in^ 
vesting  the  Spanish  sovereigns  with  similar  rights,  privi 
leges,  and  indulgences,  in  respect  to  the  newly  discovered 
regions,  to  those  granted  to  the  Portuguese  with  respect 
to  their  African  discoveries,  and  under  the  same  con 
dition  of  propagating  the  Catholic  faith.  To  prevent  any 
conflicting  claims,  however,  between  the  two  powers,  the 
famous  line  of  demarcation  was  established.  This  was 
an  ideal  line  drawn  from  the  north  to  the  south  pole,  a 
hundred  leagues  west  of  the  Azores  and  the  Cape  de 
Verde  Islands.  All  land  discovered  by  the  Spanish  navi 
gators  to  the  west  of  this  line  was  to  belong  to  the  crown 
of  Castile ;  all  land  discovered  in  the  contrary  direction 
was  to  belong  to  Portugal.  It  seems  never  to  have 
occurred  to  the  pontiff  that,  by  pushing  their  opposite 
discoveries,  they  might  some  day  or  other  come  again  in 
collision,  and  renew  the  question  of  territorial  right  at 
the  antipodes. 

In  the  meantime  the  utmost  exertions  were  made  to 
fit  out  the  second  expedition  of  Columbus.  To  insure 
regularity  and  dispatch  in  the  affairs  relative  to  the  New 
World,  they  were  placed  under  the  superintendence  of 
Juan  Rodriguez  de  Fonseca,  Archdeacon  of  Seville,  who 
successively  was  promoted  to  the  sees  of  Badajoz,  Pa- 
lencia,  and  Burgos,  and  finally  appointed  Patriarch  of  the 
Indies.  Francisco  Pinelo  was  associated  with  him  as 
treasurer,  and  Juan  de  Soria  as  contador,  or  comptroller. 
Their  office  was  fixed  at  Seville,  and  was  the  germ  of 


122  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

the  Royal  India  house,  which  afterwards  rose  to  such 
great  power  and  importance.  No  one  was  permitted  to 
embark  for  the  newly  discovered  lands  without  express 
license  from  either  the  sovereigns,  Columbus,  or  Fonseca. 
The  ignorance  of  the  age  as  to  enlarged  principles  of 
commerce,  and  the  example  of  the  Portuguese  in  respect 
to  their  African  possessions,  have  been  cited  in  excuse 
for  the  narrow  and  jealous  spirit  here  manifested  ;  but  it 
always,  more  or  less,  influenced  the  policy  of  Spain  in  her 
colonial  regulations. 

Another  instance  of  the  despotic  sway  exercised  by  the 
crown  over  commerce  is  manifested  in  a  royal  order,  em 
powering  Columbus  and  Fonseca  to  freight  or  purchase 
any  vessels  in  the  ports  of  Andalusia,  or  to  take  them  by 
force,  if  refused,  even  though  freighted  by  other  persons, 
paying  what  they  should  conceive  a  reasonable  compen 
sation,  and  compelling  their  captains  and  crews  to  serve 
in  the  expedition.  Equally  arbitrary  powers  were  given 
with  respect  to  arms,  ammunition,  and  naval  stores. 

As  the  conversion  of  the  heathen  was  professed  to  be 
the  grand  object  of  these  discoveries,  twelve  ecclesiastics 
were  chosen  to  accompany  the  expedition,  at  the  head  of 
whom  was  Bernardo  Buyl,  or  Boyle,  a  Benedictine  monk, 
native  of  Catalonia,  a  man  of  talent  and  reputed  sanctity, 
but  a  subtle  politician,  of  intriguing  spirit.  He  was  ap 
pointed  by  the  pope  his  apostolical  vicar  for  the  New 
World.  These  monks  were  charged  by  Isabella  with  the 
spiritual  instruction  of  the  Indians,  and  provided  by  her 
with  all  things  necessary  for  the  dignified  performance 
of  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  Church.  The  queen 
had  taken  a  warm  and  compassionate  interest  in  the  wel 
fare  of  the  natives,  looking  upon  them  as  committed  by 
Heaven  to  her  peculiar  care.  She  gave  general  orders 
that  they  should  be  treated  with  the  utmost  kindness,  and 


STRATAGEM  OF  JOHN   THE   SECOND.  123 

enjoined  Columbus  to  inflict  signal  punishment  on  all 
Spaniards  who  should  wrong  them.  The  six  Indians 
brought  by  the  Admiral  to  Barcelona  were  baptized  with 
great  state  and  solemnity,  the  king,  the  queen,  and  Prince 
Juan  officiating  as  sponsors,  and  were  considered  as  an 
offering  to  Heaven  of  the  first  fruits  of  these  pagan 
nations. 

The  preparations  for  the  expedition  were  quickened  by 
the  proceedings  of  the  court  of  Portugal.  John  the  Sec 
ond,  unfortunately  for  himself,  had  among  his  counsellors 
certain  politicians  of  that  short-sighted  class  who  mistake 
craft  for  wisdom.  By  adopting  their  perfidious  policy 
he  had  lost  the  New  World  when  it  was  an  object  of 
honorable  enterprise;  in  compliance  with  their  advice,  he 
now  sought  to  retrieve  it  by  subtle  stratagem.  A  large 
armament  was  fitting  out,  the  avowed  object  of  which 
was  an  expedition  to  Africa,  but  its  real  destination  to 
seize  upon  the  newly  discovered  countries.  To  lull  sus 
picion,  he  sent  ambassadors  to  the  Spanish  court  to  con 
gratulate  the  sovereigns  on  the  success  of  Columbus,  and 
to  amuse  them  with  negotiations  respecting  their  discov 
eries.  Ferdinand  had  received  early  intelligence  of  the 
naval  preparations  of  Portugal,  and  perfectly  understood 
the  real  purpose  of  this  mission.  A  keen  diplomatic 
game  ensued  between  the  sovereigns,  wherein  the  parties 
were  playing  for  a  newly  discovered  world.  Questions 
and  propositions  were  multiplied  and  entangled  ;  the 
object  of  each  being  merely  to  gain  time  to  dispatch  his 
expedition.  Ferdinand  was  successful,  and  completely 
foiled  his  adversary;  for  though  John  the  Second  was  able 
and  intelligent,  and  had  crafty  counsellors  to  advise  him, 
yet,  whenever  deep  and  subtle  policy  was  required,  Fer 
dinand  was  master  of  the  game. 

It  may  be  as  well  to  mention,  in  this  place,  that  the 


124  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

dispute  between  the  two  powers,  on  the  subject  of  their 
discoveries,  was  finally  settled  on  June  4,  1494,  by  re 
moving  the  imaginary  line  of  partition  three  hundred 
and  seventy  leagues  west  of  the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands, 
an  arrangement  which  ultimately  gave  to  Portugal  the 
possession  of  the  Brazils. 

By  the  indefatigable  exertions  of  Columbus,  aided  by 
Fonseca  and  Soria,  a  fleet  of  seventeen  sail,  large  and 
small,  were  soon  in  a  state  of  forwardness  ;  laborers  and 
artificers  of  all  kinds  were  engaged  for  the  projected  col 
ony  ;  and  an  ample  supply  was  provided  of  whatever  was 
necessary  for  its  subsistence  and  defence,  for  the  cultiva 
tion  of  the  soil,  the  working  of  the  mines,  and  the  traffic 
with  the  natives. 

The  extraordinary  excitement  which  prevailed  respect 
ing  this  expedition,  and  the  magnificent  ideas  which  were 
entertained  concerning  the  New  World,  drew  volunteers 
of  all  kinds  to  Seville.  It  was  a  romantic  and  stirring 
age,  and  the  Moorish  wars  being  over,  the  bold  and  rest 
less  spirits  of  the  nation  were  in  want  of  suitable  employ 
ment.  Many  hidalgos  of  high  rank,  officers  of  the  royal 
household  and  Andalusian  cavaliers,  pressed  into  the 
expedition,  some  in  the  royal  service,  others  at  their  own 
cost,  fancying  they  were  about  to  enter  upon  a  glorious 
career  of  arms,  in  the  splendid  countries  and  among  the 
semi-barbarous  nations  of  the  East.  No  one  had  any 
definite  idea  of  the  object  or  nature  of  the  service  in 
which  he  was  embarked,  or  the  situation  and  character  of 
the  region  to  which  he  was  bound.  Indeed,  during  this 
fever  of  the  imagination,  had  sober  facts  and  cold  realities 
been  presented,  they  would  have  been  rejected  with  dis 
dain,  for  there  is  nothing  of  which  the  public  is  more 
impatient  than  of  being  disturbed  in  the  indulgence  of 
any  of  its  golden  dreams. 


DON  ALONZO  DE   OJEDA.  12$ 

Among  the  noted  personages  who  engaged  in  the  ex 
pedition  was  a  young  cavalier  of  a  good  family,  named 
Don  Alonzo  de  Ojeda,  who  deserves  particular  mention. 
He  was  small,  but  well  proportioned  and  muscular,  of  a 
dark  but  handsome  and  animated  countenance,  and  pos 
sessed  of  incredible  strength  and  agility.  He  was  expert 
at  all  kinds  of  weapons,  accomplished  in  all  manly  and 
warlike  exercises,  an  admirable  horseman,  and  a  partisan 
soldier  of  the  highest  order.  Bold  of  heart,  free  of  spirit, 
open  of  hand ;  fierce  in  fight,  quick  in  brawl,  but  ready 
to  forgive  and  prone  to  forget  an  injury  ;  he  was  for  a 
long  time  the  idol  of  the  rash  and  roving  youth  who 
engaged  in  the  early  expeditions  to  the  New  World,  and 
distinguished  himself  by  many  perilous  enterprises  and 
singular  exploits.  The  very  first  notice  we  have  of  him 
is  a  harebrained  feat  which  he  performed  in  the  presence 
of  Queen  Isabella,  in  the  Giralda  or  Moorish  tower  of  the 
cathedral  of  Seville.  A  great  beam  projected  about 
twenty  feet  from  the  tower  at  an  immense  height  from 
the  ground  ;  along  this  beam  Ojeda  walked  briskly,  with 
as  much  confidence  as  if  pacing  his  chamber.  When 
arrived  at  the  end,  he  stood  on  one  leg,  with  the  other 
elevated  in  the  air,  then  turning  nimbly,  walked  back  to 
the  tower,  placed  one  foot  against  it  and  threw  an  orange 
to  the  summit ;  which  could  only  have  been  done  by  one 
possessed  of  immense  muscular  strength.  Throughout 
all  this  exploit  the  least  giddiness,  or  false  step,  would 
have  precipitated  him  to  the  earth  and  dashed  him  to 
pieces. 

During  the  fitting  out  of  the  armament,  various  dis 
putes  occurred  between  Columbus  and  the  persons  ap 
pointed  by  the  Crown  to  assist  him.  Juan  de  Soria, 
the  comptroller,  demurred  occasionally  to  the  expenses, 
which  exceeded  the  amount  originally  calculated,  and  he 


126  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

sometimes  refused  to  sign  the  accounts  of  the  Admiral. 
The  Archdeacon  Fonseca,  also,  disputed  the  requisitions 
of  Columbus  for  footmen  and  domestics  suitable  to  his 
state  as  viceroy.  They  both  received  reprimands  from 
the  sovereigns,  and  were  commanded  to  study  in  every 
thing  the  wishes  of  Columbus.  From  this  trifling  cause 
we  may  date  the  rise  of  an  implacable  hostility,  ever  after 
manifested  by  Fonseca  towards  Columbus,  which  every 
year  increased  in  rancor,  and  which  his  official  station 
enabled  him  to  gratify  in  the  most  invidious  manner. 
Enjoying  the  unmerited  favor  of  the  sovereigns,  he  main 
tained  a  control  of  Indian  affairs  for  about  thirty  years. 
He  must  undoubtedly  have  possessed  talents  for  business, 
to  insure  such  perpetuity  of  office  ;  but  he  was  malignant 
and  vindictive,  and  in  the  gratification  of  his  private  re 
sentments  often  obstructed  the  national  enterprises,  and 
heaped  wrongs  and  sorrows  on  the  heads  of  the  most 
illustrious  of  the  early  discoverers. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

DEPARTURE    OF   COLUMBUS    ON    HIS    SECOND  VOYAGE  OF 
DISCOVERY. — ARRIVAL   AT    HISPANIOLA.       [1493.] 

THE  departure  of  Columbus  on  his  second  voyage  of 
discovery  presented  a  brilliant  contrast  to  his  gloomy 
embarkation  at  Palos.  On  the  2$th  of  September,  at 
the  dawn  of  day,  the  Bay  of  Cadiz  was  whitened  by  his 
fleet.  There  were  three  large  ships  of  heavy  burden, 
and  fourteen  caravels.  The  number  of  persons  permitted 
to  embark  had  originally  been  limited  to  one  thousand, 
but  many  volunteers  were  allowed  to  enlist  without  pay, 


IN  SIGHT  OF   THE  ANTILLES. 

others  got  on  board  of  the  ships  by  stealth,  so  that  event 
ually  about  fifteen  hundred  set  sail  in  the  fleet.  All  were 
full  of  animation,  and  took  a  gay  leave  of  their  friends, 
anticipating  a  prosperous  voyage  and  triumphant  return. 
Instead  of  being  regarded  by  the  populace  as  devoted 
men,  bound  upon  a  dark  and  desperate  enterprise,  they 
were  contemplated  with  envy  as  favored  mortals,  destined 
to  golden  regions  and  delightful  climes,  where  nothing 
but  wealth  and  wonder  and  enjoyment  awaited  them. 
Columbus  moved  among  the  throng,  accompanied  by  his 
sons,  Diego  and  Fernando,  the  eldest  but  a  stripling, 
who  had  come  to  witness  his  departure.  Wherever  he 
passed,  every  eye  followed  him  with  admiration,  and 
every  tongue  extolled  and  blessed  him.  Before  sunrise 
the  whole  fleet  was  under  way ;  the  weather  was  serene 
and  propitious,  and  as  the  populace  watched  their  parting 
sails  brightening  in  the  morning  beams,  they  looked  for 
ward  to  their  joyful  return,  laden  with  the  treasures  of 
the  New  World. 

Columbus  touched  at  the  Canary  Islands,  where  he 
took  in  wood  and  water,  and  procured  live  stock,  plants, 
and  seeds,  to  be  propagated  in  Hispaniola.  On  the  I3th 
of  October  he  lost  sight  of  the  island  of  Ferro,  and, 
favored  by  the  trade  winds,  was  borne  pleasantly  along, 
shaping  his  course  to  the  southwest,  hoping  to  fall  in  with 
the  islands  of  the  Caribs,  of  which  he  had  received  such 
interesting  accounts  in  his  first  voyage.  At  the  dawn  of 
day  of  the  2d  of  November  a  lofty  island  was  descried 
to  the  west,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Dominica, 
from  having  discovered  it  on  Sunday.  As  the  ships 
moved  gently  onward  other  islands  rose  to  sight,  one 
after  another,  covered  with  forests,  and  enlivened  by 
flights  of  parrots  and  other  tropical  birds,  while  the  whole 
air  was  sweetened  by  the  fragrance  of  the  breezes  which 


128  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

passed  over  them.  These  were  a  part  of  that  beautiful 
cluster  of  islands  called  the  Antilles,  which  sweep  almost 
in  a  semicircle  from  the  eastern  end  of  Porto  Rico  to 
the  coast  of  Paria,  on  the  southern  continent,  forming  a 
kind  of  barrier  between  the  main  ocean  and  the  Caribbean 
Sea. 

In  one  of  those  islands,  to  which  they  gave  the  name 
of  Guadaloupe,  the  Spaniards  first  met  with  the  delicious 
anana,  or  pineapple.  They  found  also,  to  their  surprise, 
the  sternpost  of  a  European  vessel,  which  caused  much 
speculation,  but  which,  most  probably,  was  the  fragment 
of  some  wreck,  borne  across  the  Atlantic  by  the  constant 
current  which  accompanies  the  trade  winds.  What  most 
struck  their  attention,  however,  and  filled  them  with 
horror,  was  the  sight  of  human  limbs  hanging  in  the 
houses,  as  if  curing  for  provisions,  and  others  broiling  or 
roasting  at  the  fire.  Columbus  now  concluded  that  he 
had  arrived  at  the  islands  of  the  cannibals,  or  Caribs,  the 
objects  of  his  search,  and  he  was  confirmed  in  this  belief 
by  several  captives  taken  by  his  men.  These  Caribs 
were  the  most  ferocious  people  of  these  seas,  making 
roving  expeditions  in  their  canoes  to  the  distance  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  leagues;  invading  the  islands,  ravaging 
the  villages,  making  slaves  of  the  youngest  and  hand 
somest  females,  and  carrying  off  the  men  to  be  killed 
and  eaten. 

While  at  this  island  a  party  of  eight  men,  headed  by 
Diego  Marque,  captain  of  one  of  the  caravels,  strayed 
into  the  woods,  and  did  not  return  at  night  to  the  ships. 
The  Admiral  was  extremely  uneasy  at  their  absence,  fear 
ing  some  evil  from  the  ferocious  disposition  of  the  island 
ers  ;  on  the  following  day  parties  were  sent  in  quest  of 
them,  each  witli  a  trumpeter,  to  sound  calls  and  signals, 
and  guns  were  fired  from  the  ships,  but  all  to  no  purpose. 


130  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

The  parties  returned  in  the  evening,  wearied  by  a  fruit 
less  search,  with  many  dismal  stories  of  the  traces  of 
cannibalism  they  had  met  with. 

Alonzo  de  Ojeda,  the  daring  young  cavalier  who  has 
already  been  mentioned,  then  set  off  with  forty  men  into 
the  interior  of  the  island,  beating  up  the  forests,  and 
making  the  mountains  and  valleys  resound  with  trumpets 
and  firearms,  but  with  no  better  success.  Their  search 
was  rendered  excessively  toilsome  by  the  closeness  and 
luxuriance  of  the  forests,  and  by  the  windings  and  doub 
lings  of  the  streams,  which  were  so  frequent  that  Ojeda 
declared  he  had  waded  through  twenty-six  rivers  within 
the  distance  of  six  leagues.  He  gave  the  most  enthusias 
tic  accounts  of  the  country.  The  forests,  he  said,  were 
filled  with  aromatic  trees  and  shrubs,  which  he  had  no 
doubt  would  be  found  to  produce  precious  gums  and 
spices. 

Several  days  elapsed  without  tidings  of  the  stragglers, 
and  Columbus,  giving  them  up  for  lost,  was  on  the  point 
of  sailing,  when  they  made  their  way  back  to  the  fleet, 
haggard  and  exhausted.  For  several  days  they  had  been 
bewildered  in  the  mazes  of  a  forest  so  dense  as  almost 
to  exclude  the  day.  Some  of  them  had  climbed  trees 
in  hopes  of  getting  a  sight  of  the  stars,  by  which  to 
govern  their  course,  but  the  height  of  the  branches  shut 
out  all  view  of  the  heavens.  They  were  almost  reduced 
to  despair,  when  they  fortunately  arrived  at  the  seashore, 
and  keeping  along  it,  came  to  where  the  fleet  was  at 
anchor. 

After  leaving  Guadaloupe  Columbus  touched  at  other 
of  the  Caribbean  Islands.  At  one  of  them,  which  lie 
named  Santa  Cruz,  a  ship's  boat,  sent  on  shore  for  water, 
had  an  encounter  with  a  canoe,  in  which  were  a  few 
Indians,  two  of  whom  were  females.  The  women  fought 


ENCOUNTER    WITH  NATIVES.  13 l 

as  desperately  as  the  men,  and  plied  their  bows  with 
such  vigor,  that  one  of  them  sent  an  arrow  through  a 
Spanish  buckler,  and  wounded  the  soldier  who  bore  it. 
The  canoe  being  run  down  and  overset,  they  continued 
to  fight  while  in  the  water,  gathering  themselves  occa 
sionally  on  sunken  rocks,  and  managing  their  weapons  as 
dexterously  as  if  they  had  been  on  firm  ground.  It  was 
with  the  utmost  difficulty  they  could  be  overpowered  and 
taken.  When  brought  on  board  the  ships,  the  Spaniards 
could  not  but  admire  their  untamed  spirit  and  fierce  de 
meanor.  One  of  the  females,  from  the  reverence  with 
which  the  rest  treated  her,  appeared  to  be  their  queen  ; 
she  was  accompanied  by  her  son,  a  young  man  strongly 
made,  with  a  haughty  and  frowning  brow,  who  had  been 
wounded  in  the  combat.  One  of  the  Indians  had  been 
transpierced  by  a  lance,  and  died  of  the  wound  ;  and  one 
of  the  Spaniards  died  a  day  or  two  afterwards,  of  a  wound 
received  from  a  poisoned  arrow. 

Pursuing  his  voyage,  Columbus  passed  by  a  cluster  of 
small  islands,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  The  Eleven 
Thousand  Virgins,  and  arrived  one  evening  in  sight  of 
a  great  island,  covered  with  fine  forests,  and  indented 
with  havens.  It  was  called  by  the  natives  Boriquen,  but 
he  named  it  San  Juan  Bautista ;  it  is  the  same  since 
known  by  the  name  of  Porto  Rico.  After  running  for 
a  whole  day  along  its  beautiful  coast,  and  touching  at 
a  bay  at  the  west  end,  he  arrived,  on  the  22d  of  Novem 
ber,  off  the  eastern  extremity  of  Hayti,  or  Hispaniola. 
The  greatest  animation  prevailed  throughout  the  armada 
at  the  thoughts  of  soon  arriving  at  the  end  of  their  voy 
age,  while  those  who  had  accompanied  Columbus  in  the 
preceding  expedition  looked  forward  to  meeting  with  the 
comrades  they  had  left  behind,  and  to  a  renewal  of  pleas 
ant  scenes  among  the  groves  of  Hayti.  Passing  by  the 


FEARS  FOR  LA   NAVIDAD.  133 

gulf  of  Las  Fleches,  where  the  skirmish  had  occurred 
with  the  natives,  Columbus  set  on  shore  one  of  the  young 
Indians  who  had  been  taken  from  the  neighborhood,  and 
had  accompanied  him  to  Spain.  He  dismissed  him  finely 
appareled  and  loaded  with  trinkets,  anticipating  favorable 
effects  from  the  accounts  he  would  be  able  to  give  to  his 
countrymen  of  the  power  and  munificence  of  the  Span 
iards,  but  he  never  heard  anythifig  of  him  more.  Only 
one  Indian  of  those  who  had  been  to  Spain  remained 
in  the  fleet,  a  young  Lucayan,  native  of  the  island  of 
Guanahani,  who  had  been  baptized  at  Barcelona,  and 
named  after  the  Admiral's  brother,  Diego  Colon  ;  he  con 
tinued  always  faithful  and  devoted  to  the  Spaniards. 

Continuing  along  the  coast,  Columbus  paused  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Monte  Christi,  to  fix  upon  a  place  for 
a  settlement,  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  stream  said  to 
abound  in  gold,  to  which,  in  his  first  voyage,  he  had 
given  the  name  of  Rio  del  Oro.  Here,  as  the  seamen 
were  ranging  the  shore,  they  found  the  bodies  of  three 
men  and  a  boy,  one  of  whom  had  a  rope  of  Spanish 
grass  about  his  neck,  and  another,  from  having  a  beard, 
was  evidently  a  European.  The  bodies  were  in  a  state 
of  decay,  but  bore  the  marks  of  violence.  This  spectacle 
gave  rise  to  many  gloomy  forebodings,  and  Columbus 
hastened  forward  to  La  Navidad,  full  of  apprehensions 
that  some  disaster  had  befallen  Diego  de  Arana  and  his 
companions. 


134  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

FATE   OF  THE     FORTRESS     OF     LA     NAVIDAD. — TRANSAC 
TIONS   AT    THE    HARBOR.       [1493.] 

ON  the  evening  of  the  2/th  of  November  Columbus 
anchored  opposite  to  the  harbor  of  La  Navidad,  about  a 
league  from  the  land.  As  it  was  too  dark  to  distinguish 
objects,  he  ordered  two  signal  guns  to  be  fired.  The 
report  echoed  along  the  shore,  but  there  was  no  gun,  or 
light,  or  friendly  shout  in  reply.  Several  hours  passed 
away  in  the  most  dismal  suspense ;  about  midnight,  a 
number  of  Indians  came  off  in  a  canoe  and  inquired  for 
the  Admiral,  refusing  to  come  on  board  until  they  should 
see  him  personally.  Columbus  showed  himself  at  the 
side  of  his  vessel,  and  a  light  being  held  up,  his  counte 
nance  and  commanding  person  were  not  to  be  mistaken. 
The  Indians  now  entered  the  ship  without  hesitation. 
One  of  them  was  a  cousin  of  the  cacique  Guacanagari, 
and  the  bearer  of  a  present  from  him.  The  first  inquiry 
of  Columbus  was  concerning  the  garrison.  He  was  in 
formed  that  several  of  the  Spaniards  had  died  of  sick 
ness,  others  had  fallen  in  a  quarrel  among  themselves, 
and  others  had  removed  to  a  different  part  of  the  island  ; 
that  Guacanagari  had  been  assailed  by  Caonabo,  the 
fierce  cacique  of  the  golden  mountains  of  Cibao,  who  had 
wounded  him  in  combat  and  burnt  his  village,  and  that 
he  remained,  ill  of  his  wound,  in  a  neighboring  hamlet. 

Melancholy  as  were  these  tidings,  they  relieved  Colum 
bus  from  the  painful  suspicion  of  treachery  on  the  part 
of  the  cacique  and  people  in  whom  he  had  confided, 
and  gave  him  hopes  of  finding  some  of  the  scattered  gar- 


FATE   OF  LA   N AVID  AD. 


135 


rison  still  alive.  The  Indians  were  well  entertained,  and 
gratified  with  presents  ;  on  departing  they  promised  to 
return  in  the  morning  with  Guacanagari.  The  morning, 
however,  dawned  and  passed  away,  and  the  day  declined 
without  the  promised  visit  from  the  chieftain.  There  was 
a  silence  and  an  air  of  desertion  about  the  whole  neigh 
borhood.  Not  a  canoe  appeared  in  the  harbor,  not  an 
Indian  hailed  them  from  the  land,  nor  was  there  any 


FINDING   RUINS   OF   LA   NAVIDAD. 
Based  on  old  prints. 

smoke  to  be  seen  rising  from  among  the  groves.  Towards 
the  evening  a  boat  was  sent  on  shore  to  reconnoitre.  The 
crew  hastened  to  the  place  where  the  fortress  had  been 
erected.  They  found  it  burnt  and  demolished  ;  the  pali- 
sadoes  beaten  down,  and  the  ground  strewed  with  broken 
chests,  spoiled  provisions,  and  the  fragments  of  European 
garments.  Not  an  Indian  approached  them,  and  if  they 
caught  a  sight  of  any  lurking  among  the  trees,  they  van 
ished  on  finding  themselves  perceived.  Meeting  no  one 


I36 


THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 


from  whom  they  could  obtain  information  concerning  this 
melancholy  scene,  they  returned  to  the  ships  with  de 
jected  hearts. 

Columbus,  himself,  landed  on  the  following  morning, 
and  repairing  to  the  ruins  of  the  fortress,  caused  diligent 
search  to  be  made  for  the  dead  bodies  of  the  garrison. 
Cannon  and  arquebuses  were  discharged,  to  summon 
any  survivors  that  might  be  in  the  neighborhood,  but 

none  made  their  appearance. 
Columbus  had  ordered  Arana 
and  his  fellow  officers,  in  case 
of  sudden  danger,  to  bury  all 
the  treasure  they  might  pos 
sess,  or  throw  it  in  the  well  of 
the  fortress.  The  well  was  there 
fore  searched,  and  excavations 
were  made  among  the  ruins,  but 
no  gold  was  to  be  found.  Not 
far  from  the  fortress,  the  bodies 
of  eleven  Europeans  were  found 
buried  in  different  places,  and 
they  appeared  to  have  been  for 
some  time  in  the  ground.  In 
the  houses  of  a  neighboring  ham 
let  were  found  several  European 
articles  which  could  not  have 
been  procured  by  barter.  This 

gave  suspicions  that  the  fortress  had  been  plundered  by 
the  Indians  in  the  vicinity;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
village  of  Guacanagari  was  a  mere  heap  of  burnt  ruins, 
which  showed  that  h'j  and  his  people  had  been  involved 
in  the  same  disaster  with  the  garrison.  Columbus  was 
for  some  time  perplexed  by  these  contradictory  docu 
ments  of  a  disastrous  story.  At  length  a  communication 


ARQUEBUSIER. 
Front  DC  Bry's  '''•Voy 


FACTIONS  IN    THE  FORTRESS.  137 

was  effected  with  some  of  the  natives;  their  evident 
apprehensions  were  dispelled,  and  by  the  aid  of  the 
interpreter  the  fate  of  the  garrison  was  more  minutely 
ascertained. 

It  appeared  that  Columbus  had  scarcely  set  sail  for 
Spain  when  all  his  counsels  and  commands  faded  from 
the  minds  of  those  who  remained  behind.  Instead  of 
cultivating  the  good-will  of  the  natives,  they  endeavored, 
by  all  kinds  of  wrongful  means,  to  get  possession  of  their 
golden  ornaments  and  other  articles  of  value,  and  seduced 
from  them  their  wives  and  daughters.  Fierce  brawls 
occurred  between  themselves  about  their  ill-gotten  spoils, 
or  the  favors  of  the  Indian  women.  In  vain  did  Diego 
de  Arana  interpose  his  authority ;  all  order,  all  subordi 
nation,  all  unanimity,  were  at  an  end  ;  factions  broke  out 
among  them,  and  at  length  ambition  arose  to  complete 
the  destruction  of  this  mimic  empire.  Pedro  Gutierrez, 
and  Rodrigo  de  Escobedo,  whom  Columbus  had  left  as 
lieutenants,  to  succeed  Arana  in  case  of  accident,  now  as 
pired  to  an  equal  share  in  the  authority.  In  the  quarrels 
which  succeeded  a  Spaniard  was  killed,  and  Gutierrez 
and  Escobedo,  having  failed  in  their  object,  withdrew 
from  the  fortress,  with  nine  of  their  adherents,  and  a 
number  of  women,  and  set  off  for  the  mountains  of  Ci- 
bao,  with  the  idea  of  procuring  immense  wealth  from  its 
golden  mines.  These  mountains  were  in  the  territories 
of  the  famous  Caonabo,  called  by  the  Spaniards  the  Lord 
of  the  Golden  House.  He  was  a  Carib  by  birth,  and  had 
come  an  adventurer  to  the  island,  but  possessing  the 
fierceness  and  enterprise  of  his  nation,  had  gained  such 
an  ascendency  over  these  simple  and  unwarlike  people 
as  to  make  himself  their  most  powerful  cacique.  The 
wonderful  accounts  of  the  white  men  had  reached  him 
among  his  mountains,  and  he  had  the  shrewdness  to  per- 


138  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

ceive  that  his  own  consequence  must  decline  before  such 
formidable  intruders.  The  departure  of  Columbus  had 
given  him  hopes  that  their  intrusion  would  be  but  tem 
porary  ;  the  discords  of  those  who  remained  increased  his 
confidence.  No  sooner,  therefore,  did  Gutierrez  and 
Escobcdo,  with  their  companions,  appear  in  his  domin 
ions  than  he  seized  them  and  put  them  to  death.  He 
then  assembled  his  subjects,  and  traversing  the  forests 
with  profound  secrecy,  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  La  Na- 
vidad  without  being  discovered.  But  ten  men  remained 
in  the  fortress  with  Arana  ;  the  rest  were  living  in  careless 
security  in  the  village.  In  the  dead  of  the  night  Cao- 
nabo  and  his  warriors  burst  upon  the  place  with  frightful 
yells,  and  set  fire  to  the  fortress  and  village.  The  Span 
iards  were  completely  taken  by  surprise.  Eight  were 
driven  to  the  seaside,  and  rushing  into  the  waves,  were 
drowned ;  the  rest  were  massacred.  Guacanagari  and 
his  subjects  fought  faithfully  in  defence  of  their  guests, 
but,  not  being  of  a  warlike  character,  they  were  easily 
routed.  The  cacique  was  wounded  in  the  conflict,  arid 
his  village  burnt  to  the  ground. 

Such  is  the  story  of  the  first  European  establishment 
in  the  New  World.  It  presents  in  a  diminutive  compass 
an  epitome  of  the  gross  vices  which  degrade  civilization, 
and  the  grand  political  errors  which  sometimes  subvert 
the  mightiest  empires.  All  law  and  order  were  relaxed 
by  licentiousness  ;  public  good  was  sacrificed  to  private 
interest  and  passion  ;  the  community  was  convulsed  by 
divers  factions,  until  the  whole  body  politic  was  shaken 
asunder  by  two  aspiring  demagogues,  ambitious  of  the 
command  of  a  petty  fortress  in  a  wilderness,  and  the 
supreme  control  of  eight  and  thirty  men  ! 

This  account  of  the  catastrophe  of  the  fortress  satisfied 
Columbus  of  the  good  faith  of  Guacanagari  ;  but  circum- 


ENTERTAINS  A    CACIQUE.  139 

stances  concurred  to  keep  alive  the  suspicions  enter 
tained  of  him  by  the  Spaniards.  Columbus  paid  a  visit 
to  the  chieftain,  whom  he  found  in  a  neighboring  village, 
suffering  apparently  from  a  bruise  which  he  had  received 
in  the  leg,  from  a  stone.  Several  of  his  subjects,  also, 
exhibited  recent  wounds,  which  had  evidently  been 
made  by  Indian  weapons.  The  cacique  was  greatly  agi 
tated  at  seeing  Columbus,  and  deplored  with  tears  the 
misfortunes  of  the  garrison.  At  the  request  of  the  Ad 
miral,  his  leg  was  examined  by  a  Spanish  surgeon,  but 
no  sign  of  a  wound  was  to  be  seen,  though  he  shrunk 
with  pain  whenever  the  leg  was  touched.  As  some  time 
had  elapsed  since  the  battle,  the  external  bruise  might 
have  disappeared,  while  a  tenderness  might  remain  in  the 
part.  Many  of  the  Spaniards,  however,  who  had  not  wit 
nessed  the  generous  conduct  of  the  cacique  in  the  first 
voyage,  looked  upon  his  lameness  as  feigned,  and  the 
whole  story  of  the  battle  a  fabrication,  to  conceal  his 
perfidy.  Columbus  persisted  in  believing  him  innocent, 
and  invited  him  on  board  of  his  ships,  where  the  cacique 
was  greatly  astonished  at  the  wonders  of  art  and  nature 
brought  from  the  Old  World.  What  most  amazed  him 
was  the  horses.  He  had  never  seen  any  but  the  most 
diminutive  quadrupeds,  and  gazed  with  awe  at  the 
grandeur  of  these  noble  animals,  their  great  strength,  ter 
rific  appearance,  yet  perfect  docility.  The  sight  of  the 
Carib  prisoners  also  increased  his  idea  of  the  prowess  of 
the  Spaniards,  having  the  hardihood  to  invade  these 
terrible  beings,  even  in  their  strongholds,  while  he  could 
scarcely  look  upon  them  without  shuddering,  though  in 
chains. 

On  board  the  ship  were  several  Indian  women  who 
had  been  captives  to  the  Caribs.  Among  them  was  one 
distinguished  above  her  companions  by  a  certain  loftiness 


THE    LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

of  demeanor  ;  she  had  been  much  noticed  and  admired 
by  the  Spaniards,  who  had  given  her  the  name  of  Cata- 
lina.  She  particularly  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
cacique,  who  is  represented  to  have  been  of  an  amorous 
complexion.  He  spoke  to  her  repeatedly,  with  great 
gentleness  of  tone  and  manner,  pity  in  all  probability 
being  mingled  with  his  admiration,  for,  though  rescued 
from  the  hands  of  the  Caribs,  she  and  her  companions 
were  still,  in  a  manner,  captives  on  board  of  the  ship. 

A  collation  was  served  up  for  the  entertainment  of 
Guacanagari,  and  Columbus  endeavored  by  kindness  and 
hospitality  to  revive  their  former  cordial  intercourse,  but 
it  was  all  in  vain  ;  the  cacique  was  evidently  distrust 
ful  and  ill  at  ease.  The  suspicions  of  his  guilt  gained 
ground  among  the  Spaniards.  Father  Boyle,  in  partic 
ular,  regarded  him  with  an  evil  eye,  and  advised  Colum 
bus,  now  that  he  had  him  securely  on  board  of  his  ship, 
to  detain  him  prisoner;  but  Columbus  rejected  the 
counsel  of  the  crafty  friar,  as  contrary  to  sound  policy 
and  honorable  faith.  The  cacique,  however,  accustomed 
in  his  former  intercourse  with  the  Spaniards  to  meet  on 
every  side  with  faces  beaming  with  gratitude  and  friend 
ship,  could  not  but  perceive  the  altered  looks  of  cold 
suspicion  and  secret  hostility  ;  notwithstanding  the  frank 
and  cordial  hospitality  of  the  admiral,  therefore,  he  soon 
took  leave  and  returned  to  land. 

On  the  following  day  there  was  a  mysterious  movement 
and  agitation  among  the  natives  on  shore.  The  brother 
of  Guacanagari  came  on  board,  under  pretext  of  barter 
ing  a  quantity  of  gold,  but,  as  it  afterwards  proved,  to 
bear  a  message  to  Catalina,  the  Indian  female,  whose 
beauty  had  captivated  the  heart  of  the  cacique,  and 
whom,  with  a  kind  of  native  gallantry,  he  wished  to 
deliver  from  bondage. 


MISFORTUNES  OF   THE   SPANIARDS.  141 

At  midnight,  when  the  crew  were  buried  in  their  first 
sleep,  Catalina  awakened  her  female  companions,  and 
proposed  a  bold  attempt  to  gain  their  liberty.  The  ship 
was  anchored  full  three  miles  from  the  shore,  and  the  sea 
was  rough  ;  but  these  island  women  were  accustomed 
to  buffet  with  the  waves,  and  the  water  was  to  them  al 
most  as  their  natural  element.  Letting  themselves  down 
silently  from  the  side  of  the  vessel,  they  trusted  to  the 
strength  of  their  arms,  and  swam  bravely  for  the  shore. 
They  were  overheard  by  the  watch,  the  alarm  was  given, 
the  boats  were  manned  and  gave  chase  in  the  direction  of 
a  light  blazing  on  the  shore,  an  evident  beacon  for  the 
fugitives.  Such  was  the  vigor  of  these  sea  nymphs,  how 
ever,  that  they  reached  the  land  before  they  were  over 
taken.  Four  were  captured  on  the  beach,  but  the  heroic 
Catalina,  with  the  rest  of  her  companions,  escaped  in  safe 
ty  to  the  forest.  Guacanagari  disappeared  on  the  same  day 
with  all  his  household  and  effects,  and  it  was  supposed 
had  taken  refuge,  with  his  island  beauty,  in  the  interior. 
His  desertion  gave  redoubled  force  to  the  doubts  here 
tofore  entertained,  and  he  was  generally  stigmatized  as 
the  perfidious  destroyer  of  the  garrison. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

FOUNDING    OF    THE   CITY    OF    ISABELLA. —  DISCONTENTS 
OF   THE   PEOPLE.      [1493.] 

THE  misfortunes  which  had  befallen  the  Spaniards, 
both  by  sea  and  land,  in  the  vicinity  of  this  harbor,  threw 
a  gloom  over  the  place,  and  it  was  considered  by  the 
superstitious  mariners  as  under  some  baneful  influence, 


I42  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

or  malignant  star.  The  situation,  too,  was  low,  moist, 
and  unhealthy,  and  there  was  no  stone  in  the  neighbor 
hood  for  building.  Columbus  searched,  therefore,  for  a 
more  favorable  place  for  his  projected  colony,  and  fixed 
upon  a  harbor  about  ten  leagues  east  of  Monte  Christi, 
protected  on  one  side  by  a  natural  rampart  of  rocks,  and 
on  the  other  by  an  impervious  forest,  with  a  fine  plain  in 
the  vicinity,  watered  by  two  rivers.  A  great  inducement, 
also,  for  settling  here,  was,  that  it  was  at  no  great  dis 
tance  from  the  mountains  of  Cibao,  where  the  gold  mines 
were  situated. 

The  troops  and  the  various  persons  to  be  employed  in 
the  colony  were  immediately  disembarked,  together  with 
the  stores,  arms,  ammunition,  and  all  the  cattle  and  live 
stock.  An  encampment  was  formed  on  the  margin  of 
the  plain,  round  a  sheet  of  water,  and  the  plan  of  a  town 
traced  out,  and  the  houses  commenced.  The  public  edi 
fices,  such  as  a  church,  a  storehouse,  and  a  residence 
for  the  Admiral,  were  constructed  of  stone,  the  rest  of 
wood,  plaster,  reeds,  and  such  other  materials  as  could 
be  readily  procured.  Thus  was  founded  the  first  Chris 
tian  city  of  the  New  World,  to  which  Columbus  gave  the 
name  of  Isabella,  in  honor  of  his  royal  patroness. 

For  a  time  every  one  exerted  himself  with  zeal;  but 
maladies  soon  began  to  make  their  appearance.  Many 
had  suffered  from  sea-sickness,  and  the  long  confinement 
on  board  of  the  ships;  others,  from  the  exposures  on  the 
land,  before  houses  could  be  built  for  their  reception,  and 
from  the  exhalations  of  a  hot  and  moist  climate,  dense 
natural  forests,  and  a  new,  rank  soil,  so  trying  to  con 
stitutions  accustomed  to  a  dry  climate,  and  open,  culti 
vated  country.  The  important  and  hurried  labors  of 
building  the  city  and  cultivating  the  earth  bore  hard  upon 
the  Spaniards,  many  of  whom  were  unaccustomed  to 


THE  BUILDING   OF   A   CITY,    OR   FORT  ISABELLA. 
From  Columbus'*  first  Utter. 


144  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

labor,  and  needed  repose  and  relaxation.  The  maladies  of 
the  mind  also  mingled  with  those  of  the  body.  Many,  as 
has  been  shown,  had  embarked  in  the  enterprise  with  the 
most  visionary  and  romantic  expectations.  What,  then, 
was  their  surprise  at  finding  themselves  surrounded  by 
impracticable  forests,  doomed  to  toil  painfully  for  mere 
subsistence,  and  to  attain  every  comfort  by  the  severest 
exertion  !  As  to  gold,  which  they  had  expected  to  find 
readily  and  in  abundance,  it  was  to  be  procured  only  in 
small  quantities,  and  by  patient  and  persevering  labor. 
All  these  disappointments  sank  deep  into  their  hearts, 
their  spirits  flagged  as  their  golden  dreams  melted  away, 
and  the  gloom  of  despondency  aided  the  ravages  of  dis 
ease.  Columbus  himself  was  overcome  by  the  fatigues, 
anxieties,  and  exposures  he  had  suffered,  and  for  several 
weeks  was  confined  to  his  bed  by  severe  illness  ;  but  his 
energetic  mind  rose  superior  to  the  maladies  of  the  body, 
and  he  continued  to  give  directions  about  the  building  of 
the  city,  and  the  general  concerns  of  the  expedition. 

The  greater  part  of  the  ships  were  ready  to  return  to 
Spain,  but  he  had  no  treasure  to  send  with  them.  The 
destruction  of  the  garrison  had  defeated  all  his  hopes  of 
finding  a  quantity  of  gold  amassed  and  ready  to  be  sent 
to  the  sovereigns.  It  was  necessary  for  him  to  do  some 
thing,  however,  before  the  vessels  sailed,  to  keep  up  the 
reputation  of  his  discoveries,  and  justify  his  own  magnifi 
cent  representations.  The  region  of  the  mine  lay  at  a 
distance  of  but  three  or  four  days'  journey,  directly  in  the 
interior;  the  very  name  of  the  cacique,  Caonabo,  signify 
ing  "  the  lord  of  the  golden  house,"  seemed  to  indicate 
the  wealth  of  his  dominions.  Columbus  determined, 
therefore,  to  send  an  expedition  to  explore  them.  If 
the  result  should  answer  to  the  accounts  given  by  the 
Indians,  he  would  be  able  to  send  home  the  fleet  with 


GOLD  HUNTING.  145 

confidence,  bearing  tidings  of  the  discovery  of  the  golden 
mountains  of  Cibao. 

The  person  chosen  for  this  enterprise  was  Alonzo  de 
Ojeda,  who  delighted  in  all  service  of  an  adventurous 
nature.  He  set  out  from  the  harbor  early  in  January, 
1494,  accompanied  by  a  small  number  of  well-armed 
men,  several  of  them  young  and  spirited  cavaliers  like 
himself.  They  crossed  the  first  range  of  mountains  by 
a  narrow  and  winding  Indian  path,  and  descended  into 
a  vast  plain,  covered  with  noble  forests,  and  studded 
with  villages  and  hamlets.  The  inhabitants  overwhelmed 
them  with  hospitality,  and  delayed  them  in  their  journey 
by  their  kindness.  They  had  to  ford  many  rivers,  also, 
so  that  they  were  six  days  in  reaching  the  chain  of  moun 
tains  which  locked  up,  as  it  were,  the  golden  region  of 
Cibao.  Here  they  saw  ample  signs  of  natural  wealth. 
The  sands  of  the  mountain  streams  glittered  with  parti 
cles  of  gold ;  in  some  places  they  picked  up  large  speci 
mens  of  virgin  ore,  and  stones  streaked  and  richly 
impregnated  with  it.  Ojeda,  himself,  found  a  mass  of 
rude  gold  in  one  of  the  brooks,  weighing  nine  ounces. 
The  little  band  returned  to  the  harbor,  with  enthusiastic 
accounts  of  the  golden  promise  of  these  mountains.  A 
young  cavalier,  named  Gorvalan,  who  had  been  sent  to 
explore  a  different  tract  of  country,  returned  with  similar 
reports.  Encouraged  by  these  good  tidings,  Columbus 
lost  no  time  in  dispatching  twelve  of  the  ships,  under 
the  command  of  Antonio  de  Torres,  retaining  only  five 
for  the  service  of  the  colony.  By  these  ships  he  sent 
home  specimens  of  the  gold  found  among  the  mountains 
of  Cibao,  and  of  all  fruits  and  plants  of  unknown  and 
valuable  species,  together  with  the  Carib  captives,  to  be 
instructed  in  the  Spanish  language  and  the  Christian 
faith,  that  they  might  serve  as  interpreters,  and  aid  in  the 
10 


146  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

conversion  of  their  countrymen.  He  wrote,  also,  a  san 
guine  account  of  the  two  expeditions  into  the  interior, 
and  expressed  a  confident  expectation,  as  soon  as  the 
health  of  himself  and  his  people  would  permit,  of  pro 
curing  and  making  abundant  shipments  of  gold,  spices, 
and  valuable  drugs.  He  extolled  the  fertility  of  the  soil, 
evinced  in  the  luxuriant  growth  of.  the  sugar  cane,  and  of 
various  European  grains  and  vegetables  ;  but  entreated 
supplies  of  provisions  for  the  immediate  wants  of  the 
colony,  as  their  stores  were  nearly  exhausted,  and  they 
could  not  accustom  themselves  to  the  diet  of  the  natives. 

Among  many  sound  and  salutary  suggestions  in  this 
letter  there  was  one  of  a  pernicious  tendency.  In  his 
anxiety  to  lighten  the  expenses  of  the  colony,  and  pro 
cure  revenue  to  the  Crown,  he  recommended  that  the 
natives  of  the  Caribbean  Islands,  being  cannibals,  and 
ferocious  invaders  of  their  peaceful  neighbors,  should  be 
captured  and  sold  as  slaves,  or  exchanged  with  merchants 
for  live  stock  and  other  necessary  supplies.  He  observed 
that,  by  transmitting  these  infidels  to  Europe,  where  they 
would  have  the  benefits  of  Christian  instruction,  there 
would  be  so  many  souls  snatched  from  perdition,  and  so 
many  converts  gained  to  the  faith.  Such  is  the  strange 
sophistry  by  which  upright  men  may  deceive  themselves, 
and  think  they  are  obeying  the  dictates  of  their  con 
science,  when,  in  fact,  they  are  but  listening  to  the 
incitements  of  their  interest.  It  is  but  just  to  add 
that  the  sovereigns  did  not  accord  with  him  in  his 
ideas,  but  ordered  that  the  Caribs  should  be  treated  like 
the  rest  of  the  islanders;  a  command  which  emanated 
from  tlv:  merciful  heart  of  Isabella,  who  ever  showed 
herself  the  benign  protectress  of  the  Indians. 

When  the  fleet  arrived  in  Europe,  though  it  brought 
no  gold,  yet  the  tidings  from  Columbus  and  his  com- 


SEDITION  AMONG    THE   COLONISTS.  1 47 

panions  kept  up  the  popular  excitement.  The  sordid 
calculations  of  petty  spirits  were  as  yet  overruled  by  the 
enthusiasm  of  generous  minds.  There  was  something 
wonderfully  grand  in  the  idea  of  introducing  new  races 
of  animals  and  plants,  of  building  cities,  extending  col 
onies,  and  sowing  the  seeds  of  civilization  and  of  en 
lightened  empire  in  this  beautiful  but  savage  world.  It 
struck  the  minds  of  learned  and  classical  men  with  ad 
miration,  filling  them  with  pleasant  dreams  and  reveries, 
and  seeming  to  realize  the  poetical  pictures  of  the  olden 
time  ;  of  Saturn,  Ceres,  and  Triptolemus,  travelling  about 
the  earth  to  spread  new  inventions  among  mankind,  and 
of  the  colonizing  enterprises  of  the  Phenicians. 

But  while  such  sanguine  anticipations  were  indulged 
in  Europe,  murmuring  and  sedition  began  to  prevail 
among  the  colonists.  Disappointed  in  their  hopes  of 
wealth,  disgusted  with  the  labors  imposed  upon  them, 
and  appalled  by  the  prevalent  maladies,  they  looked  with 
horror  upon  the  surrounding  wilderness,  and  became 
impatient  to  return  to  Spain.  Their  discontents  were 
increased  by  one  Firmin  Cado,  a  wrong-headed  and  cap 
tious  man,  who  had  come  out  as  assayer  and  purifier  of 
metals,  but  whose  ignorance  in  his  art  equaled  his  ob 
stinacy  of  opinion.  He  pertinaciously  insisted  that  there 
was  scarcely  any  gold  in  the  island,  and  that  all  the  speci 
mens  brought  by  the  natives  had  been  accumulated  in 
the  course  of  several  generations,  and  been  handed  down 
from  father  to  son  in  their  families. 

At  length  a  conspiracy  was  formed,  headed  by  Bernal 
Diaz  de  Pisa,  the  comptroller,  to  take  advantage  of  the 
illness  of  Columbus,  to  seize  upon  the  ships  remaining  in 
the  harbor,  and  to  return  to  Spain  ;  where  they  thought 
it  would  be  easy  to  justify  their  conduct  by  accusing  Co 
lumbus  of  gross  deceptions  and  exaggerations  concern- 


148  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

ing  the  countries  lie  had  discovered.  Fortunately,  Co 
lumbus  received  information  in  time,  and  arrested  the 
ringleaders  of  the  conspiracy.  Bernal  Diaz  was  confined 
on  board  of  one  of  the  ships,  to  be  sent  to  Spain  for 
trial;  and  several  of  the  inferior  mutineers  were  pun 
ished,  but  not  with  the  severity  their  offence  deserved. 
This  was  the  first  time  Columbus  exercised  the  right  of 
punishing  delinquents  in  his  new  government,  and  it  im 
mediately  caused  a  great  clamor  against  him.  Already 
the  disadvantage  of  being  a  foreigner  was  clearly  mani 
fested.  He  had  no  natural  friends  to  rally  round  him  ; 
whereas  the  mutineers  had  connections  in  Spain,  friends 
in  the  colony,  and  met  with  sympathy  in  every  discon 
tented  mind. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

EXPEDITION     OF     COLUMBUS     INTO     THE    INTERIOR    OF 
H  [SPAN  10  LA.      [  1494.] 

As  the  surest  means  of  quieting  the  murmurs  and 
rousing  the  spirits  of  his  people,  Columbus,  as  soon  as 
his  health  permitted,  made  preparations  for  an  expedi 
tion  to  the  mountains  of  Cibao,  to  explore  the  country, 
and  establish  a  post  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mines.  Placing 
his  brother  Diego  in  command  at  Isabella,  during  his  ab 
sence,  and  taking  with  him  every  person  in  health  that 
could  be  spared  from  the  settlement,  and  all  the  cavalry, 
he  departed,  on  the  1 2th  of  March,  at  the  head  of  four 
hundred  men,  armed  with  helmets  and  corselets,  with 
arquebuses,  lances,  swords,  and  crossbows,  and  followed 
by  laborers  and  miners,  and  a  multitude  of  the  neigh- 


DEPARTURE  FOR   THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  CIBAO.       149 

boring  Indians.  After  traversing  a  plain  and  fording 
two  rivers,  they  encamped  in  the  evening  at  the  foot  of 
a  wild  and  rocky  pass  of  the  mountains. 

The  ascent  of  this  defile  presented  formidable  difficul 
ties  to  the  little  army,  which  was  encumbered  with  vari 
ous  munitions  and  with  mining  implements.  There  was 
nothing  but  an  Indian  footpath,  winding  among  rocks 
and  precipices,  and  the  entangled  vegetation  of  a  tropical 
forest.  A  number  of  high-spirited  young  cavaliers,  there 
fore,  threw  themselves  in  the  advance,  and  aiding  the 
laborers  and  pioneers,  and  stimulating  them  with  prom 
ises  of  liberal  reward,  they  soon  constructed  the  first  road 
formed  by  Europeans  in  the  New  World,  which,  in  com 
memoration  of  their  generous  zeal,  was  called  El  Puerto 
de  los  Hidalgos,  or  the  Pass  of  the  Hidalgos. 

On  the  following  day  the  army  toiled  up  this  steep 
defile,  and  arrived  where  the  gorge  of  the  mountain 
opened  into  the  interior.  Here  a  glorious  prospect  burst 
upon  their  view.  Below  lay  a  vast  and  delicious  plain, 
enameled  with  all  the  rich  variety  of  tropical  vegetation. 
The  magnificent  forests  presented  that  mingled  beauty 
and  majesty  of  vegetable  forms  peculiar  to  these  gener 
ous  climates.  Palms  of  prodigious  height  and  spread 
ing  mahogany  trees  towered  from  amid  a  wilderness  of 
variegated  foliage.  Universal  freshness  and  verdure  were 
maintained  by  numerous  streams  which  meandered  gleam 
ing  through  the  deep  bosom  of  the  woodland,  while 
various  villages  and  hamlets  seen  among  the  trees,  and 
the  smoke  of  others  rising  out  of  the  forests,  gave  signs 
of  a  numerous  population.  The  luxuriant  landscape  ex 
tended  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  until  it  appeared  to 
melt  away  and  mingle  with  the  horizon.  The  Spaniards 
gazed  with  rapture  upon  this  soft,  voluptuous  country, 
which  seemed  to  realize  their  ideas  of  a  terrestrial  para- 


THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

disc,  and  Columbus,  struck  with  its  vast  extent,  gave  it 
the  name  of  Vega  Real,  or  Royal  Plain. 

Having  descended  the  rugged  pass,  the  army  issued 
upon  the  plain  in  military  array,  with  great  clangor  of 
warlike  instruments.  When  the  Indians  beheld  this  band 
of  warriors,  glittering  in  steel,  emerging  from  the  moun 
tains  with  prancing  steeds  and  floating  banners,  and 
heard,  for  the  first  time,  their  rocks  and  forests  echoing 
to  the  din  of  drum  and  trumpet,  they  were  bewildered 
with  astonishment.  The  horses  especially  excited  their 
terror  and  admiration.  They  at  first  supposed  the  rider 
and  his  steed  to  be  one  animal,  and  nothing  could  exceed 
their  surprise  on  seeing  the  horsemen  dismount. 

On  the  approach  of  the  army  the  Indians  generally  fled 
with  terror,  but  their  fears  were  soon  dispelled  ;  they  then 
absolutely  retarded  the  march  of  the  army  by  their  kind 
ness  and  hospitality,  nor  did  they  appear  to  have  any  idea 
of  receiving  a  recompense  for  the  provisions  they  fur 
nished  in  abundance.  The  untutored  savage,  in  almost 
every  part  of  the  world,  scorns  to  make  a  traffic  of  hos 
pitality. 

For  two  or  three  days  they  continued  their  march 
across  this  noble  plain,  where  every  scene  presented  the 
luxuriance  of  wild,  uncivilized  nature.  They  crossed 
two  large  rivers :  one,  called  the  Yagui  by  the  natives, 
was  named  by  the  Admiral  the  River  of  Reeds;  to  the 
other  he  gave  the  name  of  Rio  Verde,  or  Green  River, 
from  the  verdure  and  freshness  of  its  banks.  At  length 
they  arrived  at  a  chain  of  lofty  and  rugged  mountains 
which  formed  a  kind  of  barrier  to  the  vega,  and  amidst 
which  lay  the  golden  region  of  Cibao.  On  entering  this 
vaunted  country  the  whole  character  of  the  scenery 
changed,  as  if  nature  delighted  in  contrarieties,  and  dis 
played  a  miser-like  poverty  of  exterior  when  teeming 


SEARCH  FOR   GOLD.  15 1 

with  hidden  treasures.  Instead  of  the  soft,  luxuriant 
landscape  of  the  vega,  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  chains 
of  rocky  and  sterile  mountains,  scantily  clothed  with 
pines.  The  very  name  of  the  country  bespoke  the  nat 
ure  of  the  soil,  Cibao,  in  the  language  of  the  natives, 
signifying  a  stone.  But  what  consoled  the  Spaniards  for 
the  asperity  of  the  soil  was  to  observe  particles  of  gold 
among  the  sands  of  the  streams,  which  they  regarded  as 
earnests  of  the  wealth  locked  up  in  the  mountains. 

Choosing  a  situation  in  a  neighborhood  that  seemed  to 
abound  in  mines,  Columbus  began  to  build  a  fortress,  to 
which  he  gave  the  name  of  St.  Thomas,  intended  as  a 
pleasant,  though  pious,  reproof  of  Firmin  Cado  and  his 
doubting  adherents,  who  had  refused  to  believe  that  the 
island  contained  gold  until  they  should  behold  it  with 
their  eyes  and  touch  it  with  their  hands. 

While  the  Admiral  remained  superintending  the  build 
ing  of  the  fortress  he  dispatched  a  young  cavalier  of 
Madrid,  named  Juan  de  Luxan,  with  a  small  band  of 
armed  men  to  explore  the  province.  Luxan  returned 
after  a  few  days,  with  the  most  satisfactory  accounts. 
He  found  many  parts  of  Cibao  more  capable  of  cultiva 
tion  than  those  that  had  been  seen  by  the  Admiral.  The 
forests  appeared  to  abound  with  spices ;  the  trees  were 
overrun  with  vines  bearing  clusters  of  grapes  of  pleasant 
flavor ;  while  every  valley  and  glen  had  its  stream,  yield 
ing  more  or  less  gold,  and  showing  the  universal  preva 
lence  of  that  precious  metal. 

The  natives  of  the  surrounding  country  likewise  flocked 
to  the  fortress  of  St.  Thomas,  bringing  gold  to  exchange 
for  European  trinkets.  One  old  man  brought  two  pieces 
of  virgin  ore  weighing  an  ounce,  and  thought  himself 
richly  repaid  on  receiving  a  hawk's  bell.  On  remarking 
the  admiration  of  the  Admiral  at  the  size  of  these  speci- 


I52  THE    LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

mens,  he  assured  him  that  in  his  country,  which  lay  at 
half  a  day's  distance,  pieces  were  found  as  big  as  an 
orange.  Others  spoke  of  masses  of  ore  as  large  as  the 
head  of  a  child,  to  be  met  with  in  their  neighborhood. 
As  usual,  however,  these  golden  tracts  were  always  in 
some  remote  valley,  or  along  some  rugged  and  seques 
tered  stream  ;  and  the  wealthiest  spot  was  sure  to  lie  at 
the  greatest  distance — for  the  land  of  promise  is  ever 
beyond  the  mountain. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

CUSTOMS  AND   CHARACTERISTICS   OF   THE   NATIVES. 

THE  fortress  of  St.  Thomas  being  nearly  completed, 
Columbus  left  it  in  command  of  Pedro  Margarite,  a  native 
of  Catalonia,  and  knight  of  the  order  of  Santiago,  with  a 
garrison  of  fifty-six  men,  and  set  out  on  his  return  to 
Isabella.  He  paused  for  a  time  in  the  vega  to  establish 
routes  between  the  fortress  and  the  harbor;  during 
which  time  he  sojourned  in  the  villages,  that  his  men 
might  become  accustomed  to  the  food  of  the  natives, 
and  that  a  mutual  good-will  might  grow  up  between 
them. 

Columbus  had  already  discovered  the  error  of  one  of 
his  opinions  concerning  these  islanders,  formed  during 
his  first  voyage.  They  were  not  so  entirely  pacific,  nor 
so  ignorant  of  warlike  arts,  as  he  had  imagined.  The 
casual  descents  of  the  Caribs  had  compelled  the  inhab 
itants  of  the  seacoast  to  acquaint  themselves  with  the 
use  of  arms ;  and  Caonabo  had  introduced  something 
of  his  own  warlike  spirit  into  the  centre  of  the  island. 


i! 


M 


154  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

Yet,  generally  speaking,  the  habits  of  the  people  were 
mild  and  gentle.  Their  religious  creed  was  of  a  vague 
yet  simple  nature.  They  believed  in  one  Supreme  Being, 
who  inhabited  the  sky,  who  was  immortal,  omnipotent, 
and  invisible,  to  whom  they  ascribed  an  origin,  having 
had  a  mother,  but  no  father.  They  never  addressed 
their  worship  directly  to  him,  but  to  inferior  deities^ 
called  zemes,  a  kind  of  messengers  or  mediators.  Each 
cacique,  each  family,  and  each  individual  had  a  particu 
lar  zemi  as  a  tutelary  or  protecting  genius  ;  whose  image, 
generally  of  a  hideous  form,  was  placed  about  their 
houses,  carved  on  their  furniture,  and  sometimes  bound 
to  their  foreheads  when  they  went  to  battle.  They 
believed  their  zemes  to  be  transferable,  with  all  their 
beneficial  powers;  they,  therefore,  often  stole  them  from 
each  other,  and  when  the  Spaniards  arrived,  hid  them 
away,  lest  they  should  be  taken  by  the  strangers. 

They  believed  that  these  zemes  presided  over  every 
object  in  nature.  Some  had  sway  over  the  elements, 
causing  sterile  or  abundant  years,  sending  whirlwinds  and 
tempests  of  rain  and  thunder,  or  sweet  and  temperate 
breezes  and  prolific  showers.  Some  governed  the  seas 
and  forests,  the  springs  and  fountains,  like  the  nereids, 
the  dryads,  and  satyrs  of  antiquity.  They  gave  success 
in  hunting  and  fishing  ;  they  guided  the  mountain  streams 
into  safe  channels,  leading  them  to  meander  peacefully 
through  the  plains  ;  or,  if  incensed,  they  caused  them  to 
burst  forth  into  floods  and  torrents,  inundating  and  laying 
waste  the  valleys. 

The  Indians  were  well  acquainted  with  the  medicinal 
properties  of  trees  and  vegetables.  Their  butios,  or 
priests,  acted  as  physicians,  curing  diseases  with  simples, 
but  making  use  of  many  mysterious  rites  ;  chanting  and 
burning  a  light  in  the  chamber  of  the  patient,  and  pre- 


FESTIVALS   OF   THE  NATIVES. 


155 


tending  to  exorcise  the  malady,  and  to  send  it  to  the  sea 
or  to  the  mountain.  They  practiced  also  many  decep 
tions,  making  the  idols  to  speak  with  oracular  voice,  to 
enforce  the  orders  of  the  caciques. 

Once  a  year,  each  cacique  held  a  festival  in   honor  of 
his  zemi,  when  his  subjects  formed  a  procession  to  the 


CACIQUE   AND    ATTENDANTS. 
Redrawn  from  MontanFs  " America" 

temple,  the  married  men  and  women  decorated  with 
their  most  precious  ornaments  ;  the  young  females  en 
tirely  naked,  carrying  baskets  of  cakes,  ornamented  with 
flowers,  and  singing  as  they  advanced,  while  the  cacique 
beat  time  on  an  Indian  drum.  After  the  cakes  had  been 
offered  to  the  zemi  they  were  broken  and  distributed 
among  the  people,  to  be  preserved  in  their  houses  as 


I $  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

charms  against  all  adverse  accidents.  The  young  females 
then  danced  to  the  cadence  of  songs  in  praise  of  their 
deities,  and  of  the  heroic  actions  of  their  ancient  ca 
ciques  ;  and  the  whole  ceremony  concluded  by  a  grand 
invocation  to  the  zemi  to  watch  over  and  protect  the 
nation. 

The  natives  believed  that  their  island  of  Hayti  was 
the  earliest  part  of  creation,  and  that  the  sun  and  moon 
issued  out  of  one  of  its  caverns  to  give  light  to  the  uni 
verse.  This  cavern  still  exists  near  Cape  Francois,  and 
the  hole  in  the  roof  may  still  be  seen  from  whence  the 
Indians  believed  the  sun  and  moon  had  sallied  forth  to 
take  their  places  in  the  sky.  It  was  consecrated  as  a 
kind  of  temple  ;  two  idols  were  placed  in  it,  and  the 
walls  were  decorated  with  green  branches.  In  times  of 
great  drought  the  natives  made  pilgrimages  and  proces 
sions  to  it,  with  songs  and  dances,  and  offerings  of  fruit 
and  flowers. 

They  ascribed  to  another  cavern  the  origin  of  the  hu 
man  race,  believing  that  the  large  men  issued  forth  from 
a  great  aperture,  but  the  little  men  from  a  little  cranny. 
For  a  long  time  they  dared  venture  from  the  cavern 
only  in  the  night,  for  the  sight  of  the  sun  was  fatal  to 
them,  producing  wonderful  transformations.  One  of  their 
number,  having  lingered  on  a  river's  bank,  where  he  was 
fishing,  until  the  sun  had  risen,  was  turned  into  a  bird 
of  melodious  note,  which  yearly,  about  the  time  of  his 
transformation,  is  heard  singing  plaintively  in  the  night, 
bewailing  his  misfortune.  This  is  the  same  bird  which 
Columbus  mistook  for  a  nightingale. 

When  the  human  race  at  length  emerged  from  the 
cave,  they  for  some  time  wandered  about  disconsolately 
without  females,  until,  coming  near  a  small  lake,  they 
beheld  certain  animals  among  the  branches  of  the  trees 


TRADITIONS   OF   THE   NATIVES.  1 57 

which  proved  to  be  women.  On  attempting  to  catch 
them,  however,  they  were  found  to  be  as  slippery  as 
eels,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  hold  them,  until  they 
employed  certain  men  whose  hands  had  been  rendered 
rough  by  a  kind  of  leprosy.  These  succeeded  in  secur 
ing  four  of  them  ;  and  from  these  slippery  females  the 
world  was  peopled. 

Like  most  savage  nations,  they  had  a  tradition  con 
cerning  the  deluge,  equally  fanciful  with  the  preceding. 
They  said  that  there  once  lived  in  the  island  a  mighty 
cacique,  whose  only  son  conspiring  against  him,  he  slew 
him.  He  afterwards  preserved  his  bones  in  a  gourd,  as 
was  the  custom  of  the  natives  with  the  remains  of  their 
friends.  On  a  subsequent  day,  the  cacique  and  his  wife 
opened  the  gourd  to  contemplate  the  bones  of  their  son, 
when,  to  their  surprise,  several  fish  leaped  out.  Upon 
this  the  discreet  cacique  closed  the  gourd  and  placed  it 
on  the  top  of  his  hut,  boasting  that  he  had  the  sea  shut 
up  within  it,  and  could  have  fish  whenever  he  pleased. 
Four  brothers,  however,  children  of  the  same  birth,  and 
curious  intermeddlers,  hearing  of  this  gourd,  came  dur 
ing  the  absence  of  the  cacique  to  peep  into  it.  In  their 
carelessness  they  suffered  it  to  fall  upon  the  ground, 
where  it  was  dashed  to  pieces  ;  when,  lo  !  to  their  aston 
ishment  and  dismay,  there  issued  forth  a  mighty  flood, 
with  dolphins  and  sharks,  and  tumbling  porpoises,  and 
great  spouting  whales ;  and  the  water  spread  until  it  over 
flowed  the  earth,  and  formed  the  ocean,  leaving  only  the 
tops  of  the  mountains  uncovered,  which  are  the  present 
islands. 

They  had  singular  modes  of  treating  the  dying  and 
the  dead.  When  the  life  of  a  cacique  was  despaired  of, 
they  strangled  him,  out  of  a  principle  of  respect,  rather 
than  suffer  him  to  die  like  the  vulgar.  Common  people, 


IS8  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

in  like  situation,  were  extended  in  their  hammocks, 
bread  and  water  placed  beside  them,  and  they  were  then 
abandoned  to  die  in  solitude.  Sometimes  they  were  car 
ried  to  the  cacique,  and  if  he  permitted  them  the  distinc 
tion,  they  were  strangled.  The  body  of  the  deceased  was 
sometimes  consumed  with  fire  in  his  habitation  ;  some 
times  the  bones  were  retained,  or  the  head,  or  a  limb, 
and  treasured  up  among  the  family  relics.  After  the 
death  of  a  cacique,  his  body  was  opened,  dried  at  a  fire, 
and  preserved. 

They  had  confused  notions  of  the  existence  of  the  soul 
when  separated  from  the  body,  and  believed  in  appari 
tions  of  the  deceased.  They  had  an  idea  that  the  spirits 
of  good  men  after  death  were  reunited  to  the  spirits  of 
those  they  had  most  loved,  and  to  those  of  their  ances 
tors  ;  they  were  transported  to  a  happy  region,  generally 
supposed  to  be  near  a  lake,  in  the  beautiful  province  of 
Xaragua,  in  the  western  part  of  the  island.  Here  they 
lived  in  shady  and  blooming  bowers,  with  lovely  females, 
and  banqueted  on  delicious  fruits. 

The  dances  to  which  the  natives  were  so  addicted  were 
not  mere  idle  pastimes,  but  were  often  ceremonials  of  a 
religious  and  mystic  nature.  In  these  were  typified  their 
historical  events  and  their  projected  enterprises,  whether 
of  war  or  hunting.  They  were  performed  to  the  chant 
of  certain  metres  and  ballads  handed  down  from  genera 
tion  to  generation  ;  some  of  a  sacred  character,  contain 
ing  their  notions  of  theology  and  their  religious  fables; 
others  heroic  and  historic,  rehearsing  the  deeds  of  their 
ancestors.  These  rhymes  they  called  areytos,  and  sang 
them  to  the  accompaniment  of  rude  timbrels,  made  from 
the  shells  of  certain  fishes,  or  to  the  sound  of  a  drum 
made  from  a  hollow  tree. 

The  natives  appeared  to    the   Spaniards   to    be   an  idle 


•^^  ^*^.. ->**""    Xu     --•       '          f 


i  THE   ///••/•;    OF  COLUMBUS. 

and  improvident  race,  and  indifferent  to  most  of  the  ob 
jects  of  human  anxiety  and  toil.  They  were  impatient 
of  all  kinds  of  labor,  scarcely  giving  themselves  the 
trouble  to  cultivate  the  yuca  root,  the  maize,  and  the 
sweet  potato,  which  formed  their  main  articles  of  food. 
They  loitered  away  existence  under  the  shade  of  their 
trees,  or  amusing  themselves  occasionally  with  their  games 
and  dances. 

In  fact,  they  were  destitute  of  all  powerful  motives  to 
toil,  being  free  from  most  of  those  wants  which  doom 
mankind,  in  civilized  life,  and  in  less  genial  climes,  to 
incessant  labor.  In  the  soft  region  of  the  vega  the 
circling  seasons  brought  each  its  store  of  fruits,  and 
while  some  were  gathered  in  full  maturity,  others  were 
ripening  on  the  boughs,  and  buds  and  blossoms  gave 
promise  of  still  succeeding  abundance.  What  need  was 
there  of  garnering  up  and  anxiously  providing  for  com 
ing  days,  to  men  who  lived  amid  a  perpetual  harvest  ? 
What  need,  too,  of  toilfully  spinning  or  laboring  at  the 
loom,  where  a  genial  temperature  prevailed  throughout 
the  year,  and  neither  nature  nor  custom  prescribed  the 
necessity  of  clothing? 

The  hospitality  which  characterizes  men  in  such  a 
simple  and  easy  mode  of  existence  was  evinced  towards 
Columbus  and  his  followers  during  their  sojourn  in  the 
vega.  Wherever  they  went,  it  was  a  continual  scene  of 
festivity  and  rejoicing,  and  the  natives  hastened  from  all 
parts  to  lay  the  treasures  of  their  groves  and  streams 
and  mountains  at  the  feet  of  beings  whom  they  still  con 
sidered  as  descended  from  the  skies,  to  bring  blessings  to 
their  island. 

As  we  accompany  Columbus,  in  imagination,  on  his  re 
turn  to  the  harbor,  over  the  rocky  height  from  whence 
the  vega  first  broke  upon  the  eye  of  the  Spaniards,  we 


SICKNESS  OF   THE   COLONISTS.  l6l 

cannot  help  pausing  to  cast  back  a  look  of  mingled  pity 
and  admiration  over  this  beautiful  but  devoted  region. 
The  dream  of  natural  liberty  and  ignorant  content  was 
as  yet  unbroken,  but  the  fiat  had  gone  forth  ;  the  white 
man  had  penetrated  into  the  land  ;  avarice  and  pride 
and  ambition,  and  sordid  care  and  pining  labor,  were 
soon  to  follow,  and  the  indolent  paradise  of  the  Indian 
was  about  to  disappear  forever. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

SICKNESS  AND  DISCONTENT  AT  THE  SETTLEMENT  OF 
ISABELLA. — PREPARATIONS  OF  COLUMBUS  FOR  A 
VOYAGE  TO  CUBA.  [1494.] 

COLUMBUS  had  scarcely  returned  to  the  harbor,  when 
a  messenger  arrived  from  Pedro  Margarite,  the  com 
mander  at  Fort  St.  Thomas,  informing  him  that  the 
Indians  of  the  vicinity  had  abandoned  their  villages  and 
broken  off  all  intercourse,  and  that  he  understood  Cao- 
nabo  was  assembling  his  warriors  to  attack  the  fortress. 
From  what  the  Admiral  had  seen  of  the  Indians  in  the 
interior,  and  the  awe  in  which  they  stood  of  the  white 
men  and  their  horses,  he  felt  little  apprehensions  from 
their  hostility,  and  contented  himself  with  sending  a  re 
inforcement  of  twenty  men  to  the  fortress,  and  detaching 
thirty  more  to  open  the  road  between  it  and  the  port. 
What  gave  him  most  anxiety  was  the  distress  which 
continued  to  increase  in  the  settlement.  The  heat  and 
humidity  of  the  climate,  which  gave  wonderful  fecundity 
to  the  soil,  and  rapid  growth  to  all  European  vegetables, 
were  fatal  to  the  people.  The  exhalations  from  un- 
ii 


1 62  THE  LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

drained  marshes,  and  a  vast  continuity  of  forest,  and  the 
action  of  the  sun  upon  a  reeking  vegetable  soil,  produced 
intermittent  fevers,  and  those,  other  violent  maladies  so 
trying  to  European  constitutions  in  the  uncultivated 
countries  of  the  tropics.  The  greater  part  of  the  colo 
nists  were  either  confined  by  illness,  or  reduced  to  great 
debility.  The  stock  of  medicines  was  exhausted  ;  Euro 
pean  provisions  began  to  fail,  much  having  been  spoiled 
and  much  wasted.  To  avert  an  absolute  famine,  it  was 
necessary  to  put  the  people  upon  allowance;  this  imme 
diately  caused  loud  murmurs,  in  which  many  in  office, 
who  ought  to  have  supported  Columbus  in  his  measures 
for  the  common  safety,  took  a  leading  part.  Among  the 
number  was  Friar  Boyle,  who  was  irritated  at  himself 
and  his  household  being  put  on  the  same  allowance  with 
the  rest  of  the  community. 

It  was  necessary,  also,  to  construct  a  mill  immediately, 
to  grind  the  corn,  as  all  the  flour  was  exhausted.  Most 
of  the  workmen,  however,  were  ill,  and  Columbus  was 
obliged  to  put  every  healthy  person  in  requisition,  not 
even  excepting  cavaliers  and  gentlemen  of  rank.  As 
many  of  the  latter  refused  to  comply,  he  enforced  their 
obedience  by  compulsory  measures.  This  was  another 
cause  of  the  deep  and  lasting  hostilities  that  sprang  up 
against  him.  He  was  inveighed  against,  both  by  the 
cavaliers  in  the  colony  and  their  families  in  Spain,  as  an 
upstart  foreigner,  inflated  with  sudden  authority,  and 
who,  in  pursuit  of  his  own  profit  and  aggrandizement, 
trampled  upon  the  dignity  of  Spanish  gentlemen,  and 
insulted  the  honor  of  the  nation. 

The  fate,  in  truth,  of  many  of  the  young  cavaliers  who 
had  come  out  in  this  expedition,  deluded  by  romantic 
dreams,  was  lamentable  in  the  extreme.  Some  of  them, 
of  noble  and  opulent  connections,  had  been  brought  up 


PREPARING    TO  EXPLORE   CUBA.  163 

in  ease  and  indulgence,  and  were  little  calculated  to 
endure  the  hardships  and  privations  of  a  new  settlement 
in  the  wilderness.  When  they  fell  ill,  their  case  soon 
became  incurable.  They  suffered  under  the  irritation  of 
wounded  pride,  and  the  morbid  melancholy  of  disap 
pointed  hope ;  their  sick-bed  was  destitute  of  the  tender 
care  and  soothing  attention  to  which  they  had  been 
accustomed,  and  they  sank  into  the  grave  in  all  the  sul- 
lenness  of  despair,  cursing  the  day  that  they  had  left  their 
country.  So  strong  an  effect  had  the  untimely  and  dreary 
death  of  these  cavaliers  upon  the  public  mind,  that,  many 
years  afterward,  when  the  settlement  of  Isabella  was 
abandoned  and  had  fallen  to  ruins,  its  deserted  streets 
were  said  to  be  haunted  by  their  spectres,  walking 
about  in  ancient  Spanish  dresses,  saluting  the  wayfarer 
in  stately  and  mournful  silence,  and  vanishing  on  being 
accosted.  Their  melancholy  story  was  insidiously  made 
use  of  by  the  enemies  of  the  Admiral,  for  it  was  said 
that  they  had  been  seduced  from  their  homes  by  his 
delusive  promises,  and  sacrificed  by  him  to  his  private 
interests. 

Columbus  was  desirous  of  departing  on  a  voyage  to 
explore  the  coast  of  Cuba,  but  it  was  indispensable, 
before  sailing,  to  place  the  affairs  of  the  island  in  such  a 
state  as  to  insure  tranquillity.  For  this  purpose  he  de 
termined  to  send  all  the  men  that  could  be  spared  from 
the  concerns  of  the  city,  or  the  care  of  the  sick,  into  the 
interior,  where  they  could  be  subsisted  among  the  natives, 
and  become  accustomed  to  their  diet,  while  their  force 
would  overawe  the  machinations  of  Caonabo,  or  any 
other  hostile  cacique.  A  little  army  was  accordingly 
mustered  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  crossbow-men,  one 
hundred  and  ten  arquebusiers,  sixteen  horsemen,  and 
twenty  officers.  These  were  to  be  commanded  by  Pedro 


164  THE  LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

Margarite,  while  Ojeda  was  to  succeed  him  in  the  com 
mand  of  Fort  St.  Thomas. 

Columbus  wrote  a  long  and  earnest  letter  of  instruc 
tions  to  Margarite,  desiring  him  to  make  a  military  tour, 
and  to  explore  the  principal  parts  of  the  island  ;  but 
enjoining  on  him  the  strictest  discipline  of  his  army,  and 
the  most  vigilant  care  to  protect  the  rights  of  the  Indians, 
and  cultivate  their  friendship.  Ojeda  set  off  at  the  head 
of  the  little  army  for  the  fortress  ;  on  his  way  he  learnt 
that  three  Spaniards  had  been  robbed  of  their  effects  by 
five  Indians,  at  the  ford  of  one  of  the  rivers  of  the  vega, 
and  that  the  delinquents  had  been  sheltered  by  their 
cacique,  who  had  shared  their  booty.  Ojeda  was  a  quick 
and  impetuous  soldier,  whose  ideas  were  all  of  a  military 
kind.  He  seized  one  of  the  thieves,  ordered  his  ears  to 
be  cut  off  in  the  public  square  of  the  village,  and  sent  the 
cacique,  with  his  son  and  nephew,  in  chains  to  the  admiral, 
who,  after  terrifying  them  with  preparation  for  a  public 
execution,  pretended  to  yield  to  the  tears  and  entreaties 
of  their  friends,  and  set  them  at  liberty. 

Having  thus  distributed  his  forces  about  the  island, 
and  taken  measures  for  its  tranquillity,  Columbus  formed 
a  junta  for  its  government,  of  which  his  brother  Don 
Diego  was  president,  and  Father  Boyle,  Pedro  Fernan 
dez  Coronal,  Alonzo  Sanchez  Caravajal,  and  Juan  de 
Laxan,  were  counsellors.  Leaving  in  the  harbor  two  of 
his  largest  ships,  which  drew  too  much  water  to  explore 
unknown  coasts  and  rivers,  he  set  sail  on  the  24th  of 
April,  with  the  "  Nina  "  or  "  Santa  Clara,"  the  "  San 
Juan,"  and  the  "  Cordera." 


REVISITS  CUBA.  165 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

CRUISE  OF  COLUMBUS  ALONG  THE  SOUTHERN  COAST  OF 
CUBA.      [1494.] 

THE  plan  of  the  present  expedition  of  Columbus  was 
to  revisit  Cuba  at  the  point  where  he  had  abandoned  it 
on  his  first  voyage,  and  thence  to  explore  it  on  the 
southern  side.  As  has  already  been  observed,  he  sup 
posed  it  to  be  a  continent,  and  the  extreme  end  of  Asia ; 
and  if  so,  by  following  its  shores  in  the  proposed  direc 
tion,  he  trusted  to  arrive  at  Mangi  and  Cathay,  and  other 
rich  and  commercial,  though  semi-barbarous  countries, 
forming  part  of  the  territories  of  the  Grand  Khan,  as 
described  by  Mandeville  and  Marco  Polo. 

Having  arrived,  on  the  2gth  of  April,  at  the  eastern 
end  of  Cuba,  to  which  in  his  preceding  voyage  he  had 
given  the  name  of  Alpha  and  Omega,  but  which  is  now 
known  as  Cape  Maysi,  he  sailed  along  the  southern  coast, 
touching  once  or  twice  in  the  harbors.  The  natives 
crowded  to  the  shores,  gazing  with  astonishment  at  the 
ships  as  they  glided  gently  along  at  no  great  distance. 
They  held  up  fruits  and  other  provisions,  to  tempt  the 
Spaniards  to  land,  while  others  came  off  in  canoes,  offer 
ing  various  refreshments,  not  in  barter,  but  as  free  gifts. 
On  inquiring  of  them  for  gold,  they  uniformly  pointed  to 
the  south,  intimating  that  a  great  island  lay  in  that  direc 
tion,  where  it  was  to  be  found  in  abundance.  On  the 
3d  of  May,  therefore,  Columbus  turned  his  prow  directly 
south,  and,  abandoning  the  coast  of  Cuba  for  a  time, 
steered  in  quest  of  this  reported  island.  He  had  not 
sailed  many  leagues  before  the  blue  summits  of  Jamaica 


1 66  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

began  to  rise  above  the  horizon.  It  was  two  days  and  a 
night,  however,  before  he  reached  it,  filled  with  admira 
tion,  as  he  gradually  drew  near,  at  its  vast  extent,  the 
beauty  of  its  mountains,  the  majesty  of  its  forests,  and 
the  great  number  of  villages  which  animated  the  whole 
face  of  the  country. 

He  coasted  the  island  from  about  the  centre  to  a  port 
at  the  western  end,  which  he  called  the  Gulf  of  Buen- 
tiempo.  He  found  the  natives  more  ingenious  as  well 
as  more  warlike  than  those  of  Cuba  and  Hayti.  Their 
canoes  were  constructed  with  more  art,  and  ornamented 
at  the  bow  and  stern  with  carving  and  painting.  Many 
were  of  great  size,  though  formed  of  the  hollow  trunks 
of  single  trees,  often  a  species  of  the  mahogany.  Colum 
bus  measured  one  which  proved  to  be  ninety-six  feet 
long  and  eight  broad ;  it  was  hollowed  out  of  one  of 
those  magnificent  trees  which  rise  like  verdant  towers 
amidst  the  rich  forests  of  the  tropics.  Every  cacique 
possessed  a  large  canoe  of  the  kind,  which  he  seemed  to 
regard  as  his  galley  of  state.  The  Spaniards  at  first  were 
treated  with  hostility,  and  were  compelled  to  skirmish 
with  the  natives,  but  a  friendly  intercourse  succeeded. 

Columbus  being  disappointed  in  his  hopes  of  finding 
gold  in  Jamaica,  and  the  breeze  being  fair  for  Cuba,  he 
determined  to  return  thither.  Just  as  he  was  about  to 
sail,  a  young  Indian  came  off  to  the  ship,  and  begged 
that  the  Spaniards  would  take  him  with  them  to  their 
country.  He  was  followed  by  his  relatives  and  friends, 
supplicating  him  to  abandon  his  purpose.  For  some 
time  he  was  distracted  between  concern  for  their  distress, 
and  an  ardent  desire  to  see  the  home  of  the  wonderful 
strangers.  Curiosity,  and  the  youthful  propensity  to 
rove,  at  length  prevailed  ;  he  tore  himself  from  the  em 
braces  of  his  friends,  and  took  refuge  in  a  secret  part  of 


1 68  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

the  ship,  from  the  tears  and  entreaties  of  his  sisters. 
Touched  by  this  scene  of  natural  affection,  and  pleased 
with  the  confiding  spirit  of  the  youth,  Columbus  ordered 
that  he  should  be  treated  with  especial  kindness. 

It  would  have  been  interesting  to  have  known  some 
thing  more  of  this  curious  savage,  and  of  the  effect  which 
the  first  sight  of  the  land  of  the  white  men  had  upon  his 
mind  ;  whether  it  equaled  his  hopes  ;  or  whether,  as  is 
usual  with  savages,  he  pined,  amidst  the  splendors  of 
cities,  for  his  native  forests  ;  and  whether  he  ever  re 
turned  to  the  arms  of  his  family.  The  Spanish  voyagers, 
however,  were  indifferent  to  these  matters  ;  no  further 
mention  is  made  in  their  narratives  of  this  youthful  ad 
venturer. 

Having  steered  again  for  Cuba,  Columbus,  on  the  i8th 
of  May,  arrived  at  a  great  cape,  to  which  he  gave  the 
name  of  Cabo  de  la  Cruz,  which  it  still  retains.  Coast 
ing  to  the  west,  he  soon  got  entangled  in  a  complete 
labyrinth  of  small  islands  and  keys  ;  some  of  them  were 
low,  naked,  and  sandy,  others  covered  with  verdure,  and 
others  tufted  with  lofty  and  beautiful  forests.  To  this 
archipelago,  which  extended  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
and,  in  a  manner,  enameled  the  face  of  the  ocean  with 
variegated  verdure,  he  gave  the  name  of  the  Queen's 
Garden.  He  persuaded  himself  that  these  were  the 
islands  mentioned  by  Sir  John  Mandeville  and  Marco 
Polo,  as  fringing  the  coast  of  Asia  ;  if  so,  he  must  soon 
arrive  at  the  dominions  of  the  Grand  Khan. 

There  was  much  in  the  character  of  the  scenery  to 
favor  the  idea.  As  the  ships  glided  along  the  smooth 
and  glassy  channels  which  separated  the  islands,  the  mag 
nificence  of  their  vegetation,  the  soft  odors  wafted  from 
flowers  and  blossoms  and  aromatic  shrubs,  the  splendid 
plumage  of  scarlet  cranes,  flamingoes,  and  other  tropical 


ALONG    THE   COAST  OF  CUBA.  169 

birds,  and  the  gaudy  clouds  of  butterflies,  all  resembled 
what  is  described  of  oriental  climes. 

Emerging  from  the  labyrinth  of  the  Queen's  Garden, 
Columbus  pursued  his  voyage  with  a  prosperous  breeze 
along  that  part  of  the  southern  side  of  Cuba  where,  for 
nearly  thirty-five  leagues,  the  navigation  is  free  from 
banks  and  islands;  to  his  left  was  the  broad  and  open  sea, 
whose  dark-blue  color  gave  token  of  ample  depth ;  to  his 
right  extended  a  richly  wooded  country,  called  Ornofay, 
with  noble  mountains,  frequent  streams,  and  numerous 
villages.  The  appearance  of  the  ships  spread  wonder 
and  joy  along  the  coast.  The  natives  came  off  swimming 
or  in  canoes,  to  offer  fruits  and  other  presents.  After 
the  usual  evening  shower,  when  the  breeze  blew  from  the 
shore  and  brought  off  the  sweetness  of  the  land,  it  bore 
with  it  also  the  distant  songs  of  the  natives,  and  the 
sound  of  their  rude  music,  as  they  were  probably  cele 
brating,  with  their  national  chants  and  dances,  the  ar 
rival  of  these  wonderful  strangers  on  their  coasts. 

Animated  by  the  delusions  of  his  fancy,  Columbus 
continued  to  follow  up  this  supposed  continent  of  Asia; 
plunging  into  another  wilderness  of  keys  and  islets 
towards  the  western  end  of  Cuba,  and  exploring  that 
perplexed  and  lonely  coast,  whose  intricate  channels  are 
seldom  visited,  even  at  the  present  day,  except  by  the 
lurking  bark  of  the  smuggler  and  the  pirate. 

In  this  navigation  he  had  to  contend  with  almost  in 
credible  difficulties  and  perils;  his  vessels  having  to  be 
warped  through  narrow  and  shallow  passages,  where  they 
frequently  ran  aground.  He  was  encouraged  to  proceed 
by  information  which  he  received,  or  fancied  he  received, 
from  the  natives  concerning  a  country  farther  on  called 
Mangon,  where  the  people  wore  clothing,  and  which  he 
supposed  must  be  Mangi,  the  rich  Asiatic  province  de- 


PRESTER  JOHN.  1 7 1 

scribed  by  Marco  Polo.  He  also  understood  from  them 
that  among  the  mountains  to  the  west  there  was  a  power 
ful  king,  who  reigned  in  great  state  over  many  populous 
provinces;  that  he  wore  a  white  garment  which  swept 
the  ground,  that  he  was  called  a  saint,  and  never  spoke, 
but  communicated  his  orders  to  his  subjects  by  signs. 
In  all  this  we  see  the  busy  imagination  of  Columbus  in 
terpreting  the  imperfectly  understood  communications 
of  the  Indians  into  unison  with  his  preconceived  ideas. 

This  fancied  king  with  a  saintly  title  was  probably 
conjured  up  in  his  mind  by  some  descriptions  which  he 
thought  accorded  with  what  he  had  read  of  that  mysteri 
ous  potentate  Prester  John,  who  had  long  figured,  some 
times  as  a  monarch,  sometimes  as  a  priest,  in  the  nar 
rations  of  all  eastern  travellers.  His  crews  seem  to  have 
partaken  of  his  delusion.  One  day,  a  party  being  sent  on 
shore  for  wood  and  water,  while  they  were  employed  in 
cutting  wood  and  filling  their  water-casks,  an  archer 
strayed  into  the  forest  with  his  crossbow,  in  search  of 
game,  but  soon  returned  flying  in  breathless  terror.  He 
declared  that  he  had  seen  through  an  opening  glade  a 
man  dressed  in  long  white  robes,  followed  by  two  others 
in  white  tunics  reaching  to  their  knees,  and  that  they  had 
complexions  as  fair  as  Europeans. 

Columbus  was  rejoiced  at  this  intelligence,  hoping  that 
he  had  found  the  clothed  inhabitants  of  Mangon.  Two 
parties  were  dispatched,  well  armed,  in  quest  of  these 
people  in  white  ;  the  first  returned  unsuccessful ;  the 
other  brought  word  of  having  tracked  the  footprints  of 
some  large  animal  with  claws,  supposed  by  them  to  have 
been  either  a  lion  or  a  griffin,  but  which  most  probably 
was  an  alligator.  Dismayed  at  the  sight,  they  hastened 
back  to  the  seaside.  As  no  tribe  of  Indians  wearing 
clothing  was  ever  discovered  in  Cuba,  it  is  probable  the 


1/2  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

men  in  white  were  nothing  else  than  a  flock  of  cranes, 
seen  by  the  wandering  archer.  These  birds,  like  the  fla 
mingoes,  feed  in  company,  with  one  stationed  at  a  dis 
tance  as  a  sentinel.  When  seen  through  an  opening  of 
the  woodlands,  standing  in  rows  in  a  shallow  glassy  pool, 
their  height  and  erectness  give  them,  at  first  glance,  the 
semblance  of  human  figures. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

RETURN   VOYAGE.      [1494.] 

COLUMBUS  now  hoped,  by  continuing  on,  to  arrive 
ultimately  at  the  Aura  Chersonesus  of  the  ancients  ; 
doubling  which,  he  might  make  his  way  to  the  Red  Sea, 
thence  to  Joppa,  and  so  by  the  Mediterranean  to  Spain  ; 
or  might  circumnavigate  Africa,  pass  triumphantly  by 
the  Portuguese  as  they  were  groping  along  the  coast 
of  Guinea,  and  after  having  thus  circumnavigated  the 
globe,  furl  his  adventurous  sails  at  the  Pillars  of  Hercu 
les,  the  ne  plus  ultra  of  the  ancient  world.  But  though 
his  fellow-voyagers  shared  his  opinion  that  they  were 
coasting  the  continent  of  Asia,  they  were  far  from  shar 
ing  his  enthusiasm,  and  shrunk  from  the  increasing  perils 
of  the  voyage.  The  ships  were  strained  and  crazed  by  fre 
quently  running  aground.  The  cables  and  rigging  were 
much  worn,  the  provisions  nearly  exhausted,  and  the 
crews  worn  out  and  disheartened  by  incessant  labor. 
The  Admiral,  therefore,  was  finally  persuaded  to  aban 
don  all  further  prosecution  of  the  voyage  ;  but,  before 
he  turned  back,  he  obliged  the  whole  of  the  officers 
and  seamen  to  sign  a  deposition,  declaring  their  perfect 


CUBA    BELIEVED    TO   BE  A    CONTINENT.  1/3 

conviction  that  Cuba  was  a  continent,  the  beginning  and 
the  end  of  India.  This  singular  instrument  was  signed 
near  that  deep  bay  called  by  some  the  Bay  of  Philipina, 
by  others,  of  Cortes.  At  this  very  time  a  ship-boy  from 
the  masthead  might  have  overlooked  the  group  of  islands 
to  the  south,  and  have  beheld  the  open  sea  beyond.  Had 
Columbus  continued  on  for  two  or  three  days  longer,  he 
would  have  passed  round  the  extremity  of  Cuba ;  his 
illusion  would  have  been  dispelled,  and  an  entirely  dif 
ferent  course  might  have  been  given  to  his  subsequent 
discoveries. 

Returning  now  towards  the  east,  the  crews  suffered 
excessively  from  fatigue  and  a  scarcity  of  provisions.  At 
length,  on  the  7th  of  July,  they  anchored  at  the  mouth 
of  a  fine  river,  in  a  genial  and  abundant  country,  which 
they  had  previously  visited,  as  they  had  come  down 
along  the  coast.  Here  the  natives  brought  them  pro 
visions  of  various  kinds.  It  was  a  custom  with  Colum 
bus  to  erect  crosses  in  all  remarkable  places,  to  denote 
the  discovery  of  the  country,  and  its  subjugation  to  the 
true  faith.  This  was  done  on  the  banks  of  this  river,  on 
a  Sunday  morning,  with  great  ceremony.  Columbus  was 
attended  by  the  cacique,  and  by  his  principal  favorite,  a 
venerable  Indian,  fourscore  years  of  age.  While  mass 
was  performed  in  a  stately  grove,  the  natives  looked  on 
with  awe  and  reverence.  When  it  was  ended,  the  old 
man  of  fourscore  made  a  speech  to  Columbus  in  the 
Indian  manner.  '"I  am  told,"  said  he,  "  that  thou  hast 
lately  come  to  these  lands  with  a  mighty  force,  and  hast 
subdued  many  countries,  spreading  great  fear  among  the 
people ;  but  be  not  therefore  vainglorious.  Know  that, 
according  to  our  belief,  the  souls  of  men  have  two  jour 
neys  to  perform  after  they  have  departed  from  the  body ; 
one  to  a  place  dismal,  foul,  and  covered  with  darkness, 


'74 


THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 


prepared  for  such  as  have  been  unjust  and  cruel  to  their 
fellow-men  ;  the  other  full  of  delight,  for  such  as  have 
promoted  peace  on  earth.  If,  then,  thou  art  mortal,  and 
dost  expect  to  die,  beware  that  thou  hurt  no  man  wrong 
fully,  neither  do  harm  to  those  who  have  done  no  harm 
to  thee." 


KILLING   SEA   WOLVES. 
Redrawn  front    DC   Bry. 

When  this  speech  was  explained  to  Columbus  by  his 
interpreter,  he  was  greatly  moved  by  the  simple  elo 
quence  of  this  untutored  savage,  and  rejoiced  to  hear 
his  doctrine  of  a  future  state  of  the  soul,  having  sup 
posed  that  no  belief  of  the  kind  existed  among  the  in 
habitants  of  these  countries.  He  assured  the  old  man 


ALONG    THE   COAST  OF  JAMAICA.  1 75 

that  he  had  been  sent  by  his  sovereigns  to  teach  them 
the  true  religion,  to  protect  them  from  harm,  and  to 
subdue  their  enemies  the  Caribs.  The  venerable  Indian 
was  exceedingly  astonished  to  learn  that  the  Admiral, 
whom  he  had  considered  so  great  and  powerful,  was  yet 
but  a  subject,  and  when  he  was  told  by  the  interpreter, 
who  had  been  in  Spain,  of  the  grandeur  of  the  Spanish 
monarchs,  and  of  the  wonders  of  their  kingdom,  a 
sudden  desire  seized  him  to  embark  with  the  Admiral, 
and  accompany  him  to  see  this  wonderful  country,  and  it 
was  with  difficulty  the  tears  and  remonstrances  of  his 
wife  and  children  could  dissuade  him  from  his  purpose. 

After  leaving  this  river,  to  which,  from  the  solemn 
mass  performed  on  its  banks,  Columbus  gave  the  name 
of  Rio  de  la  Misa,  he  continued  on  to  Cape  Cruz,  and 
then  stood  over  to  Jamaica,  to  complete  the  circumnavi 
gation  of  that  island.  For  nearly  a  month  he  continued 
beating  to  the  eastward  along  its  southern  coast,  coming 
to  anchor  every  evening  under  the  land,  and  making  but 
slow  progress.  Anchoring  one  evening  in  a  great  bay, 
he  was  visited  by  a  cacique  with  a  numerous  train,  who 
remained  until  a  late  hour  conversing  with  the  Lucayan 
interpreter  who  had  been  in  Spain,  about  the  Spaniards 
and  their  country,  and  their  prowess  in  vanquishing  the 
Caribs. 

On  the  following  morning,  when  the  ships  were  under 
way,  they  beheld  three  canoes  issuing  from  among  the 
islands  of  the  bay.  The  centre  one  was  large,  and 
handsomely  carved  and  painted.  In  it  were  seated  the 
cacique  and  his  family,  consisting  of  two  daughters, 
young  and  beautiful,  two  sons,  and  five  brothers.  They 
were  all  arrayed  in  their  jewels,  and  attended  by  the 
officers  of  the  chieftain,  decorated  with  plumes,  and  man 
tles  of  variegated  feathers.  The  standard-bearer  stood 


THE  LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

in  the  prow  with  a  fluttering  white  banner,  while  other 
Indians,  fancifully  painted,  beat  upon  tabors,  or  sounded 
trumpets  of  fine  black  wood  ingeniously  carved.  The 
cacique,  entering  on  board  of  the  ship,  distributed  pres 
ents  among  the  crew,  and  approaching  the  Admiral,  "  I 
have  heard,"  said  he,  "  of  the  irresistible  power  of  thy 
sovereigns,  and  of  the  many  nations  thou  hast  subdued 
in  their  name.  Thou  hast  destroyed  the  dwellings  of  the 
Caribs,  slaying  their  warriors,  and  carrying  their  wives 
and  children  into  captivity.  All  the  islands  are  in  dread 
of  thee,  for  who  can  withstand  thee,  now  that  thou 
knowest  the  secrets  of  the  land,  and  the  weakness  of 
the  people?  Rather,  therefore,  than  thou  shouldst  take 
away  my  dominions,  I  will  embark  with  all  my  house 
hold  in  thy  ships,  and  will  go  to  render  homage  to  thy 
king  and  queen,  and  behold  thy  country,  of  which  I  hear 
such  wonders." 

When  this  speech  was  interpreted  to  Columbus,  and 
he  beheld  the  wife,  the  sons,  and  daughters  of  the 
cacique,  and  considered  to  what  ills  they  would  be  ex 
posed,  he  was  touched  with  compassion,  and  determined 
not  to  take  them  from  their  native  land.  He  received 
the  cacique  under  his  protection,  as  a  vassal  of  his  sover 
eigns,  but  informed  him  that  he  had  many  lands  yet  to 
visit  before  he  should  return  to  his  own  country.  He 
dismissed  him,  therefore,  for  the  present,  promising  that 
at  some  future  time  he  would  gratify  his  wishes. 

On  the  I Qth  of  August  Columbus  lost  sight  of  the 
eastern  extremity  of  Jamaica,  and  on  the  following  day 
made  that  long  peninsula  of  Hayti,  since  called  Cape 
Tiburon,  but  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  San  Miguel. 
He  coasted  the  whole  of  the  southern  side  of  the  island, 
and  had  to  take  refuge  in  the  channel  of  Saona  from  a 
violent  storm  which  raged  for  several  days,  during  which 


ILLNESS  OF  COLUMBUS.  177 

time  he  suffered  great  anxiety  for  the  fate  of  the  other 
vessels,  which  remained  at  sea,  exposed  to  the  fury  of 
the  tempest.  Being  rejoined  by  them,  and  the  weather 
having  moderated,  he  set  sail  eastward  with  the  intention 
of  completing  the  discovery  of  the  Caribbee  Islands,  but 
his  physical  strength  did  not  correspond  to  the  efforts  of 
his  spirit.  The  extraordinary  fatigues  which  he  had  suf 
fered  both  in  mind  and  body,  during  this  harassing  voy 
age,  which  had  lasted  for  five  months,  had  secretly  preyed 
upon  his  health.  He  had  shared  in  all  the  hardships  and 
privations  of  the  common  seamen,  and  he  had  cares  and 
trials  from  which  they  were  exempt.  When  the  sailor, 
worn  out  with  the  labors  of  his  watch,  slept  soundly,  in 
spite  of  the  howling  of  the  storms,  the  anxious  com 
mander  maintained  his  painful  vigil,  through  long,  sleep 
less  nights,  amidst  the  pelting  of  the  tempest  and  the 
drenching  surges  of  the  sea,  for  the  safety  of  the  ships 
depended  upon  his  watchfulness.  During  a  great  part  of 
the  voyage  he  had  been  excited  by  the  hope  of  soon 
arriving  at  the  known  parts  of  India ;  he  was  afterwards 
stimulated  by  a  conflict  with  hardships  and  perils,  as  he 
made  his  way  back  against  contrary  winds  and  currents. 
The  moment  he  was  relieved  from  all  solicitude,  and 
found  himself  in  a  tranquil  sea,  which  he  had  already  ex 
plored,  the  excitement  suddenly  ceased,  and  mind  and 
body  sunk  exhausted  by  almost  superhuman  exertions. 
He  fell  into  a  deep  lethargy,  resembling  death  itself. 
His  crew  feared  that  death  was  really  at  hand.  They 
abandoned,  therefore,  all  farther  prosecution  of  the  voy 
age,  and  spreading  their  sails  to  a  favorable  breeze  from 
the  east,  bore  Columbus  back,  in  a  state  of  complete  in 
sensibility,  to  the  harbor  of  Isabella. 


178  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

EVENTS  IN  THE  ISLAND  OF  HISPANIOLA. — INSURREC 
TIONS  OF  THE  NATIVES. — EXPEDITION  OF  OJEDA 
AGAINST  CAONABO.  [1494.] 

A  JOYFUL  and  heartfelt  surprise  awaited  Columbus  on 
his  arrival,  in  finding  at  his  bedside  his  brother  Bartholo 
mew,  the  companion  of  his  youth,  his  zealous  coadjutor, 
and,  in  a  manner,  his  second  self,  from  whom  he  had 
been  separated  for  several  years.  It  will  be  recollected 
that  about  the  time  of  the  Admiral's  departure  for  Portu 
gal  he  commissioned  Bartholomew  to  repair  to  England, 
and  offer  his  project  of  discovery  to  Henry  the  Seventh. 
Various  circumstances  occurred  to  delay  this  application. 
There  is  reason  to  believe  that,  in  the  interim,  he  accom 
panied  Bartholomew  Diaz  in  that  celebrated  voyage  in 
the  course  of  which  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  was  discov 
ered.  On  his  way  to  England,  also,  Bartholomew  Colum 
bus  was  captured  by  a  corsair,  and  reduced  to  extreme 
poverty.  It  is  but  justice  to  the  memory  of  Henry  the 
Seventh  to  say  that  when,  after  a  lapse  of  several  years, 
the  proposition  was  eventually  made  to  him,  it  met  with 
a  more  prompt  attention  than  it  had  received  from  any 
other  sovereign.  An  agreement  was  actually  made  with 
Bartholomew  for  the  prosecution  of  the  enterprise,  and 
the  latter  departed  for  Spain  in  search  of  his  brother. 
On  reaching  Paris  he  received  intelligence  that  the  dis 
covery  was  already  made,  and  that  his  brother  was 
actually  at  the  Spanish  court  enjoying  his  triumph,  and 
preparing  to  sail  on  a  second  expedition.  He  hastened 
to  rejoin  him,  and  was  furnished  by  the  French  monarch, 


COLUMBUS  REJOINED  BY  HIS  BROTHER. 

Charles  the  Eighth,  with  a  hundred  crowns  to  defray  the 
expenses  of  the  journey.  He  reached  Seville  just  as  his 
brother  had  sailed ;  but  being  an  accomplished  navigator, 
the  sovereigns  gave  him  the  command  of  three  ships, 
freighted  with  supplies  for  the  colony,  and  sent  him  to 
aid  his  brother  in  his  enterprises.  He  again  arrived  too 
late,  reaching  the  settlement  of  Isabella  just  after  the  de 
parture  of  the  Admiral  for  the  coast  of  Cuba. 

The  sight  of  this  brother  was  an  inexpressible  relief  to 
Columbus,  disabled  as  he  was  by  sickness,  overwhelmed 
with  cares,  and  surrounded  by  strangers.  His  chief  de 
pendence  had  hitherto  been  upon  his  brother  Don 
Diego ;  but  the  latter  was  of  a  mild  and  peaceable  dispo 
sition,  with  an  inclination  for  a  clerical  life,  and  was  but 
little  fitted  to  manage  the  affairs  of  a  factious  colony. 
Bartholomew  was  of  a  different  and  more  efficient  char 
acter.  He  was  prompt,  active,  decided,  and  of  a  fearless 
spirit;  whatever  he  determined  he  carried  into  instant 
execution,  without  regard  to  difficulty  or  danger.  His 
person  corresponded  to  his  mind ;  it  was  tall,  muscular, 
vigorous,  and  commanding.  He  had  an  air  of  great 
authority,  but  somewhat  stern,  wanting  that  sweetness 
and  benignity  which  tempered  the  authoritative  de 
meanor  of  the  Admiral.  Indeed,  there  was  a  certain  as 
perity  in  his  temper  and  a  dryness  and  abruptness  in  his 
manners  which  made  him  many  enemies ;  yet,  notwith 
standing  these  external  defects,  he  was  of  a  generous 
disposition,  free  from  arrogance  or  malevolence,  and  as 
placable  as  he  was  brave. 

He  was  a  thorough  seaman,  both  in  theory  and  prac 
tice,  having  been  formed,  in  a  great  measure,  under  the 
eye  of  the  Admiral,  to  whom  he  was  but  little  inferior  in 
science.  He  was  acquainted  with  Latin,  but  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  highly  educated,  his  knowledge, 


180  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

like  that  of  his  brother,  being  chiefly  derived  from  a  long 
course  of  varied  experience  and  attentive  observation, 
aided  by  the  studies  of  maturer  years.  Equally  vigorous 
and  penetrating  in  intellect  with  the  Admiral,  but  less 
enthusiastic  in  spirit  and  soaring  in  imagination,  and 
with  less  simplicity  of  heart,  he  surpassed  him  in  the 
adroit  management  of  business,  was  more  attentive  to 
pecuniary  interests,  and  had  more  of  that  worldly  wisdom 
which  is  so  important  in  the  ordinary  concerns  of  life. 
His  genius  might  never  have  excited  him  to  the  sublime 
speculation  which  led  to  the  discovery  of  a  world,  but  his 
practical  sagacity  was  calculated  to  turn  that  discovery 
to  more  advantage. 

Anxious  to  relieve  himself  from  the  pressure  of  public 
business  during  his  present  malady,  Columbus  imme 
diately  invested  his  brother  with  the  title  and  authority 
of  Adelantado,  an  office  equivalent  to  that  of  lieutenant- 
governor.  He  felt  the  importance  of  his  assistance  in 
the  present  critical  state  of  the  colony,  for  during  the 
few  months  that  he  had  been  absent  the  whole  island 
had  become  a  scene  of  violence  and  discord.  A  brief 
retrospect  is  here  necessary,  to  explain  the  cause  of  this 
confusion. 

Pedro  Margarite,  to  whom  Columbus  on  his  departure 
had  given  orders  to  make  a  military  tour  of  the  island, 
*et  forth  on  his  expedition  with  the  greater  part  of  the 
forces,  leaving  Alonzo  de  Ojeda  in  command  of  Fort  St. 
Thomas.  Instead,  however,  of  proceeding  on  his  tour, 
Margarite  lingered  among  the  populous  and  hospitable 
villages  of  the  vega,  where  he  and  his  soldiery,  by  their 
licentious  and  oppressive  conduct,  soon  roused  the  in 
dignation  and  hatred  of  the  natives.  Tidings  of  their 
excesses  reached  Don  Diego  Columbus,  who,  with  the 
concurrence  of  the  council,  wrote  to  Margarite,  repre- 


DESERTION  OF  MARGARITE  AND   FRIAR   BOYLE.    l8l 

bending  his  conduct,  and  ordering  him  to  depart  on  his 
tour.  Margarita  replied  in  a  haughty  and  arrogant  tone, 
pretending  to  consider  himself  independent  in  his  com 
mand,  and  above  all  responsibility  to  Don  Diego  or  his 
council.  He  was  supported  in  his  tone  of  defiance  by  the 
kind  of  aristocratical  party  composed,  of  the  idle  cavaliers 
of  the  colony,  who  had  been  deeply  wounded  in  the 
pundonor,  the  proud  punctilio  so  jealously  guarded  by  a 
Spaniard,  and  affected  to  look  down  with  contempt  upon 
the  newly  coined  nobility  of  Don  Diego,  and  to  consider 
Columbus  and  his  brothers  mere  mercenary  and  upstart 
foreigners.  In  addition  to  these  partisans  Margarite  had 
a  powerful  ally  in  his  fellow-countryman,  Friar  Boyle,  the 
apostolical  vicar  for  the  New  World,  an  intriguing  man, 
who  had  conceived  a  violent  hostility  against  the  Admi 
ral,  and  had  become  disgusted  with  his  mission  to  the 
wilderness.  A  cabal  was  soon  formed  of  most  of  those 
who  were  disaffected  to  the  Admiral,  and  discontented 
with  their  abode  in  the  colony.  Margarite  and  Friar 
Boyle  acted  as  if  possessed  of  paramount  authority ;  and, 
without  consulting  Don  Diego  or  the  council,  took  pos 
session  of  certain  ships  in  the  harbor,  and  set  sail  for 
Spain,  with  their  adherents.  They  were  both  favorites 
of  the  king,  and  deemed  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  to 
justify  their  abandonment  of  their  military  and  religious 
commands,  by  a  pretended  zeal  for  the  public  good,  and 
a  desire  to  represent  to  the  sovereigns  the  disastrous 
state  of  the  colony,  and  the  tyranny  and  oppression  of 
Columbus  and  his  brothers.  Thus  the  first  general  and 
apostle  of  the  New  World  set  the  flagrant  example  of 
unauthorized  abandonment  of  their  posts. 

The  departure  of  Margarite  left  the  army  without  a 
head  ;  the  soldiers  now  roved  about  in  bands,  or  singly, 
according  to  their  caprice,  indulging  in  all  kinds  of  ex- 


1 82  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

cesses.  The  natives,  indignant  at  having  their  hospi 
tality  thus  requited,  refused  any  longer  to  furnish  them 
with  food  ;  the  Spaniards,  therefore,  seized  upon  provis 
ions  wherever  they  could  be  found,  committing,  at  the 
same  time,  many  acts  of  wanton  violences  At  length  the 
Indians  were  roused  to  resentment,  and  from  confiding 
and  hospitable  hosts  were  converted  into  vindictive  ene 
mies.  They  slew  the  Spaniards  wherever  they  could  sur 
prise  them  singly  or  in  small  parties ;  and  Guatiguana, 
cacique  of  a  large  town  on  the  Grand  River,  put  to  death 
ten  soldiers  who  were  quartered  in  his  town,  set  fire  to  a 
house  in  which  forty  sick  Spaniards  were  lodged,  and 
even  held  a  small  fortress  called  Magdalena,  recently  built 
in  the  vega,  in  a  state  of  siege,  insomuch  that  the  com 
mander  had  to  shut  himself  up  within  his  walls,  until 
relief  should  arrive  from  the  settlement. 

The  most  formidable  enemy  of  the  Spaniards  was 
Caonabo,  the  Carib  cacique  of  the  mountains.  He  had 
natural  talents  for  war,  great  sagacity,  a  proud  and  dar 
ing  spirit  to  urge  him  on,  three  valiant  brothers  to  assist 
him,  and  a  numerous  tribe  at  his  command.  He  had 
been  enraged  at  seeing  the  fortress  of  St.  Thomas  erected 
in  the  very  centre  of  his  dominions  ;  and  finding  by  his 
spies  that  the  garrison  was  reduced  to  but  fifty  men,  and 
the  army  of  Margarite  dismembered,  he  thought  the  time 
had  arrived  to  strike  a  signal  blow,  and  to  repeat  the  hor 
rors  which  he  had  wreaked  upon  La  Navidad. 

The  wily  cacique,  however,  had  a  different  kind  of 
enemy  to  deal  with  in  the  commander  of  St.  Thomas. 
Alonzo  de  Ojeda  deserves  particular  notice  as  a  specimen 
of  the  singular  characters  which  arose  among  the  Spanish 
discoverers.  He  had  been  schooled  in  Moorish  warfare, 
and,  of  course,  versed  in  all  kinds  of  military  stratagems. 
Naturally  of  a  rash  and  fiery  spirit,  his  courage  was 


ATTACK   UPON  OJEDA.  183 

heightened  by  superstition.  Having  never  received  a 
wound  in  his  numerous  quarrels  and  encounters,  he  con 
sidered  himself  under  the  special  protection  of  the  holy 
Virgin,  and  that  no  weapon  had  power  to  harm  him.  He 
had  a  small  Flemish  painting  of  the  Virgin,  which  he 
carried  constantly  with  him  ;  in  his  marches  he  bore  it  in 
his  knapsack,  and  would  often  take  it  out,  fix  it  against 
a  tree,  and  address  his  prayers  to  his  military  patroness. 
In  a  word,  he  swore  by  the  Virgin  ;  he  invoked  the  Vir 
gin  either  in  brawl  or  battle  ;  and  under  favor  of  the 
Virgin  he  was  ready  for  any  enterprise  or  adventure. 
Such  was  Alonzo  de  Ojeda,  bigoted  in  devotion,  reckless 
in  life,  fearless  in  spirit,  like  many  of  the  roving  Spanish 
cavaliers  of  those  days. 

Having  reconnoitred  the  fortress  of  St.  Thomas,  Cao- 
nabo  assembled  ten  thousand  warriors,  armed  with  war 
clubs,  bows  and  arrows,  and  lances,  hardened  in  the  fire, 
and  led  them  secretly  through  the  forests,  thinking  to 
surprise  Ojeda,  but  found  him  warily  drawn  up  within 
his  fortress,  which  was  built  upon  a  hill,  and  nearly  sur 
rounded  by  a  river.  ^Caonabo  then  held  the  fortress  in 
siege  for  thirty  days,  and  reduced  it  to  great  distress. 
He  lost  many  of  his  bravest  warriors,  however,  by  the 
impetuous  sallies  of  Ojeda  ;  others  grew  weary  of  the 
siege  and  returned  home.  He  at  length  relinquished 
the  attempt,  and  retired,  filled  with  admiration  of  the 
prowess  of  Ojeda. 

The  restless  chieftain  now  endeavored  to  form  a  league 
of  the  principal  caciques  of  the  island  to  unite  their 
forces,  surprise  the  settlement  of  Isabella,  and  massacre 
the  Spaniards  wherever  they  could  be  found.  To  explain 
this  combination,  it  is  necessary  to  state  the  internal  dis 
tribution  of  the  island.  It  was  divided  into  five  domains, 
each  governed  by  a  sovereign  cacique  of  absolute  and 


I 4  THE    TJFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

hereditary  powers,  having  many  inferior  caciques  tribu 
tary  to  him.  The  most  important  domain  comprised  the 
middle  part  of  the  royal  vega,  and  was  governed  by 
Guarionex.  The  second  was  Marion,  under  the  sway  of 
Guacanagari,  on  whose  coast  Columbus  had  been  wrecked. 
The  third  was  Maguana,  which  included  the  gold  mines 
of  Cibao,  and  was  under  the  sway  of  Caonabo.  The 
fourth  was  Xaragua,  at  the  western  end  of  the  island, 
the  most  populous  and  extensive  of  all.  The  sovereign 
was  named  Behechio.  The  fifth  domain  was  Higuey, 
and  occupied  the  whole  eastern  part  of  the  island,  but 
had  not  as  yet  been  visited  by  the  Spaniards.  The  name 
of  the  cacique  was  Cotabanama. 

Three  of  these  sovereign  caciques  readily  entered  into 
the  league  with  Caonabo,  for  the  profligate  conduct  of 
the  Spaniards  had  inspired  hostility  even  in  remote  parts 
of  the  island  which  had  never  been  visited  by  them.  The 
league,  however,  met  with  unexpected  opposition  from 
the  fifth  cacique,  Guacanagari.  He  not  merely  refused 
to  join  the  conspiracy,  but  entertained  a  hundred  Span 
iards  in  his  territory,  supplying  all  their  wants  with  his 
accustomed  generosity.  This  drew  upon  him  the  odium 
and  hostility  of  his  fellow  caciques,  who  inflicted  on  him 
various  injuries  and  indignities.  Behechio  killed  one  of 
his  wives,  and  Caonabo  carried  another  away  captive. 
Nothing,  however,  could  shake  the  devotion  of  Guacana 
gari  to  the  Spaniards  ;  and  as  his  dominions  lay  imme 
diately  adjacent  to  the  settlement,  his  refusal  to  join  in 
the  conspiracy  prevented  it  from  being  immediately  car 
ried  into  effect. 

Such  was  the  critical  state  to  which  the  affairs  of  the 
island  had  been  reduced,  and  such  the  bitter  hostility  en 
gendered  among  its  kind  and  gentle  inhabitants,  during 
the  absence  of  Columbus.  Immediately  on  his  return, 


FRIENDLINESS  OF  GUACANAGARI.  185 

and  Vhile  he  was  yet  confined  to  his  bed,  Guacanagari 
visited  him,  and  revealed  to  him  all  the  designs  of  the 
confederate  caciques,  offering  to  lead  his  subjects  to  the 
field,  and  to  fight  by  the  side  of  the  Spaniards.  Colum 
bus  had  always  retained  a  deep  sense  of  the  ancient 
kindness  of  Guacanagari,  and  was  rejoiced  to  have  all 
suspicion  of  his  good  faith  thus  effectually  dispelled. 
Their  former  amicable  intercourse  was  renewed,  and  the 
chieftain  ever  continued  to  evince  an  affectionate  rev 
erence  for  the  Admiral. 

Columbus  considered  the  confederacy  of  the  caciques 
as  but  imperfectly  formed,  and  trusted  that,  from  their 
want  of  skill  and  experience  in  warfare,  their  plans  might 
easily  be  disconcerted.  He  was  too  ill  to  take  the  field 
in  person.  His  brother  Diego  was  not  of  a  military  char 
acter,  and  Bartholomew  was  yet  a  stranger  among  the 
Spaniards,  and  regarded  with  jealousy.  He  determined, 
therefore,  to  proceed  against  the  Indians  in  detail,  at 
tacking  some,  conciliating  others,  and  securing  certain  of 
the  most  formidable  by  stratagem. 

A  small  force  was  accordingly  sent  to  relieve  Fort 
Magdalena,  which  was  beleaguered  by  Guatiguana,  the 
cacique  of  the  Grand  River,  who  had  massacred  the 
Spaniards  quartered  in  his  town.  He  was  driven  from 
before  the  fortress,  his  country  laid  waste,  and  many  of 
his  warriors  slain,  but  the  chieftain  made  his  escape.  As 
he  was  tributary  to  Guarionex,  the  sovereign  of  the  royal 
vega,  care  was  taken  to  explain  to  that  powerful  cacique 
that  this  was  an  act  of  mere  individual  punishment,  not  of 
general  hostility.  Guarionex  was  of  a  quiet  and  placable 
disposition  ;  he  was  easily  soothed  and  won  to  friend 
ship  ;  and,  to  link  him  in  some  degree  to  the  Spanish 
interest,  Columbus  prevailed  on  him  to  give  his  daughter 
in  marriage  to  the  converted  Lucayan,  who  had  been 


5     * 

fe  I 

•<  : 

O  ." 


E 

s   -y 


EXPEDITION  AGAINST  CAONABO.  187 

baptized  in  Spain  by  the  name  of  Diego  Colon,  and  who 
was  devoted  to  the  Admiral.  He  gained  permission  from 
him  also  to  erect  a  fortress  in  the  midst  of  his  territories, 
which  he  named  Fort  Conception. 

The  most  formidable  enemy  remained  to  be  disposed 
of,  which  was  Caonabo ;  to  make  war  upon  this  fierce 
and  subtle  chieftain  in  the  depths  of  his  wild  woodland 
territory,  and  among  the  fastnesses  of  his  mountains, 
would  have  been  a  work  of  time,  peril,  and  uncertain 
issue.  In  the  meanwhile,  the  settlements  would  never 
be  safe  from  his  secret  combinations  and  daring  enter 
prises,  nor  could  the  mines  be  worked  with  security,  as 
they  lay  in  his  neighborhood.  While  perplexed  on  this 
subject,  Columbus  was  relieved  by  a  proposition  of 
Alonzo  de  Odeja,  who  undertook  to  bring  the  Carib 
chieftain  either  a  friend  or  captive  to  the  settlement. 

Choosing  ten  bold  and  hardy  followers,  well  armed 
and  well  mounted,  and  invoking  the  protection  of  his 
patroness  the  Virgin,  Ojeda  plunged  into  the  forest,  and 
making  his  way  above  sixty  leagues  into  the  wild  terri 
tories  of  Caonabo,  appeared  fearlessly  before  the  cacique 
in  one  of  his  most  populous  towns,  professing  to  come 
on  an  amicable  embassy  from  the  Admiral.  He  was  well 
received  by  Caonabo,  who  had  tried  him  in  battle,  and 
had  conceived  a  warrior's  admiration  of  him.  The  free, 
dauntless  deportment,  great  personal  strength  and  agil 
ity,  and  surprising  adroitness  of  Ojeda  in  all  manly  and 
warlike  exercises  were  calculated  to  charm  a  savage,  and 
soon  made  him  a  favorite  with  Caonabo.  He  used  all 
his  influence  to  prevail  upon  the  cacique  to  repair  to  Isa 
bella,  and  enter  into  a  treaty  with  Columbus,  offering 
him,  it  is  said,  as  an  inducement,  the  bell  of  the  chapel 
at  the  harbor.  The  bell  was  the  wonder  of  the  island. 
When  its  melody  sounded  through  the  forests,  as  it  rung 


1 88  THE   LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

for  mass,  the  Indians  had  noticed  that  the  Spaniards 
hastened  from  all  parts  to  the  chapel.  At  other  times, 
when  it  gave  the  vesper-peal,  they  beheld  the  Spaniards 
pause  in  the  midst  of  their  labors  or  amusements,  and, 
taking  off  their  hats,  repeat  a  prayer  with  great  devotion. 
They  imagined,  therefore,  that  this  bell  had  some  mys 
terious  power;  that  it  had  come  from  "  Turey,"  or  the 
skies,  and  was  the  zemi  of  the  white  men  ;  that  it  talked 
to  them,  and  they  obeyed  its  orders.  Caonabo  had 
longed  to  see  this  bell,  and  when  it  was  proffered  to  him 
as  a  present  of  peace,  he  found  it  impossible  to  resist 
the  temptation. 

He  agreed  to  visit  the  Admiral  at  the  harbor;  but 
when  the  time  came  to  depart,  Ojeda  beheld  with  sur 
prise  a  powerful  army  ready  to  march.  He  remonstrated 
on  taking  such  a  force  on  a  mere  friendly  visit,  to  which 
the  cacique  proudly  replied,  "  That  it  was  not  befitting 
a  great  prince  like  him  to  go  forth  scantily  guarded." 
Ojeda  feared  some  sinister  design,  and,  to  outwit  the 
cacique,  had  resort  to  a  stratagem  which  has  the  air  of 
a  romantic  fable,  but  is  recorded  by  all  the  contempo 
rary  historians,  and  accords  with  the  adventurous  and 
extravagant  character  of  the  man,  and  the  wild  strata 
gems  incident  to  Indian  warfare. 

As  the  army  had  halted  one  day  near  the  river  Ycgua, 
Ojeda  produced  a  set  of  manacles  of  polished  steel,  so 
highly  burnished  that  they  looked  like  silver.  These  he 
assured  Caonabo  were  ornaments  worn  by  the  Castilian 
monarchs  on  high  festivities,  and  were  sent  as  a  present 
to  him.  He  proposed  that  Caonabo  should  bathe  in  the 
river,  after  which  he  should  be  decorated  with  these  or 
naments,  mounted  on  the  horse  of  Ojeda,  and  conducted 
back  in  the  state  of  a  Spanish  monarch  to  astonish  his 
subjects.  The  cacique  was  dazzled  with  the  splendor  of 


C AON  A  BO    CAPTURED.  189 

the  shackles,  and  pleased  with  the  idea  of  bestriding  one 
of  those  tremendous  animals  so  dreaded  by  his  country 
men.  He  bathed  in  the  river,  mounted  behind  Ojeda, 
and  the  shackles  were  adjusted.  The  Spaniards  then 
pranced  among  the  astonished  savages,  and  made  a  wide 
sweep  into  the  forest,  until  the  trees  concealed  them 
from  sight.  They  then  drew  their  swords,  closed  round 
Caonabo,  and  threatened  him  with  instant  death  if  he 
made  the  least  noise  or  resistance.  They  bound  him 
with  cords  to  Ojeda,  to  prevent  his  falling  or  effecting 
an  escape ;  then  putting  spurs  to  their  horses,  they 
dashed  across  the  Yegua,  made  off  through  the  woods 
with  their  prize,  and,  after  a  long,  rugged,  and  perilous 
journey,  entered  Isabella  in  triumph  ;  Ojeda  bringing 
the  wild  Indian  chieftain  bound  behind  him  a  captive. 

Columbus  could  not  refrain  from  expressing  his  great 
satisfaction  when  this  dangerous  foe  was  delivered  into 
his  hands.  The  haughty  Carib  met  him  with  a  lofty 
and  unsubdued  air,  disdaining  to  conciliate  him  by  sub 
mission,  or  to  deprecate  his  vengeance  for  his  massacre  of 
the  garrison  of  La  Navidad.  He  even  boasted  that  he 
had  secretly  reconnoitred  Isabella,  with  the  design  of 
wreaking  on  it  the  same  destruction.  He  never  evinced 
the  least  animosity  against  Ojeda  for  the  artifice  by 
which  he  had  been  captured.  He  looked  upon  it  as  the 
exploit  of  a  master  spirit,  to  pounce  upon  him,  and  bear 
him  off  in  this  hawk-like  manner  from  the  very  midst 
of  his  fighting  men  ;  for  there  is  nothing  that  an  In 
dian  more  admires  in  warfare  than  a  deep-laid  and  well- 
executed  stratagem.  Whenever  Columbus  entered  the 
prison  of  Caonabo,  all  present  rose,  according  to  custom, 
and  paid  him  reverence.  The  cacique  alone  remained 
sitting.  On  the  contrary,  when  Ojeda  entered,  though 
small  in  person,  and  without  external  state,  Caonabo 


190  THE  LIFE   OF   COLUMBUS. 

immediately  rose  and  saluted  him  with  profound  respect. 
On  being  asked  the  reason  of  this,  the  proud  Carib  re 
plied  that  the  Admiral  had  never  dared  to  come  person 
ally  to  his  dominions  and  capture  him ;  it  was  only 
through  the  valor  of  Ojeda  he  was  his  prisoner;  to  the 
latter  alone,  therefore,  he  should  pay  reverence. 

Columbus,  though  struck  with  the  natural  heroism  of 
this  savage,  considered  him  too  dangerous  an  enemy  to 
be  left  at  large.  He  maintained  him,  therefore,  a  close 
prisoner  in  a  part  of  his  own  dwelling,  until  he  could  be 
shipped  to  Spain,  but  treated  him  with  great  kindness 
and  respect.  One  of  the  brothers  of  the  cacique  assem 
bled  an  army  in  hopes  of  surprising  the  fortress  of  St. 
Thomas  and  capturing  a  number  of  Spaniards,  for  whom 
he  might  obtain  Caonabo  in  exchange ;  but  Ojeda  re 
ceived  intelligence  of  his  design,  and  coming  upon  him 
suddenly,  attacked  him  with  his  .little  troop  of  horse, 
routed  his  army,  killed  many  of  his  warriors,  and  took 
him  prisoner. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

BATTLE    OF  THE   VEGA. — IMPOSITION     OF    TRIBUTE. 

[1494.] 

THE  arrival  of  four  ships  about  this  time,  commanded 
by  Antonio  Torres,  bringing  out  a  physician  and  apothe 
cary,  various  mechanics,  millers,  and  husbandmen,  and 
an  ample  supply  of  provisions,  diffused  universal  joy 
among  the  suffering  Spaniards.  Columbus  received  a 
highly  flattering  letter  from  his  sovereigns,  approving  of 
all  that  he  had  done,  informing  him  that  all  differences 
with  Portugal  had  been  amicably  adjusted,  and  inviting 


ARRIVAL   OF   TORRES   WITH  SUPPLIES.  IQI 

him  to  return  to  Spain,  or  to  send  some  able  person  in 
his  place,  furnished  with  maps  and  charts,  to  be  present 
at  a  convention  for  adjusting  the  dividing  line  of  dis 
covery  between  the  two  powers.  Columbus  hastened 
the  return  of  the  ships,  sending  his  brother  Diego  to 
attend  the  convention,  and  to  counteract  the  misrepre 
sentations  which  he  was  aware  had  been  sent  home  of 
his  conduct,  and  which  would  be  enforced  by  Margarite 
and  Friar  Boyle.  He  remitted,  by  the  ships,  all  the 
gold  he  could  collect,  with  specimens  of  fruits  and 
valuable  plants,  and  five  hundred  Indian  captives,  to  be 
sold  as  slaves  in  Seville.  It  is  painful  to  find  the  glory 
of  Columbus  sullied  by  such  violations  of  the  laws  of 
humanity,  but  the  customs  of  the  times  must  plead  his 
apology.  In  the  recent  discoveries  along  the  coast  of 
Africa,  the  traffic  in  slaves  had  formed  one  of  the  great 
est  sources  of  profit,  and  in  the  wars  with  the  enlightened 
and  highly  civilized  Moors  of  Granada  the  Spaniards 
were  accustomed  to  make  slaves  of  their  prisoners.  Co 
lumbus  was  goaded  on,  likewise,  by  the  misrepresenta 
tions  of  his  enemies,  to  try  every  means  of  indemnifying 
the  sovereigns  for  the  expenses  of  his  enterprises,  and  to 
produce  them  a  revenue  from  the  countries  he  had  dis 
covered. 

The  Admiral  had  now  recovered  his  health,  and  the 
colonists  were,  in  some  degree,  refreshed  and  invigorated 
by  the  supplies  brought  by  the  ships,  when  Guacana- 
gari  brought  intelligence  that  the  allied  caciques,  headed 
by  Manicaotex,  brother  and  successor  to  Caonabo,  had 
assembled  all  their  forces  in  the  vega,  within  two  days' 
march  of  Isabella,  with  an  intention  of  making  a  grand 
assault  upon  the  settlement.  Columbus  immediately 
determined  to  carry  the  war  into  the  territories  of  the 
enemy,  rather  than  wait  for  it  to  be  brought  to  his  door. 


THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

The  whole  sound  and  effective  force  he  could  rm.ster, 
in  the  present  sickly  state  of  the  colony,  did  not  exceed 
two  hundred  infantry  and  twenty  horse.  There  were 
twenty  bloodhounds  also,  animals  scarcely  less  te;  able 
to  the  Indians  than  the  horses,  and  infinitely  moi\,  de 
structive.  Guacanagari,  also,  brought  his  people  ir/co  the 
field,  but  both  he  and  his  subjects  were  of  an  unwarlike 
character;  the  chief  advantage  of  his  co-operation  was 
that  it  completely  severed  him  from  his  fellow  caciques, 
and  secured  him  as  an  ally. 

It  was  on  the  27th  of  March,  1495,  that  Columbus 
issued  forth  from  Isabella  with  his  little  army,  accom 
panied  by  his  brother,  the  adelantado,  and  advancing  by 
rapid  marches,  arrived  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  enemy, 
who  were  assembled  in  the  vega,  near  to  where  the  town 
of  Santiago  has  since  been  built.  The  Indians  were  con 
fident  in  their  number,  which  is  said  to  have  amounted  to 
one  hundred  thousand  ;  this  is  evidently  an  exaggeration, 
but  the  number  was  undoubtedly  very  great.  The  ade 
lantado  arranged  the  mode  of  attack.  The  infantry, 
divided  into  small  detachments,  advanced  suddenly  from 
various  quarters,  with  great  din  of  drums  and  trumpets, 
and  a  destructive  discharge  of  firearms.  The  Indians 
were  struck  with  panic.  An  army  seemed  pressing  upon 
them  from  every  quarter.  Many  were  slain  by  the  balls 
of  the  arquebuses,  which  seemed  to  burst  with  thunder 
and  lightning  from  the  forests.  In  the  height  of  their 
confusion  Alonzo  de  Ojeda  charged  impetuously  on  their 
main  body  with  his  cavalry,  bearing  down  and  trampling 
them  under  foot,  and  dealing  deadly  blows  with  lance 
and  sword.  The  bloodhounds  were,  at  the  same  time, 
let  loose,  and  rushed  upon  the  naked  savages,  seizing 
them  by  the  throat,  dragging  them  to  the  earth,  and 
tearing  out  their  bowels.  The  battle,  if  such  it  might  be 


ATTACK    ON    NATIVES    IN    TREES. 
Front  Hgrrera's  "  History  of  the  West  /*<//<*.*• 


194  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

called,  was  of  short  duration.  The  Indians,  overwhelmed, 
fled  in  every  direction,  with  yells  and  howlings.  Some 
clambered  to  the  tops  of  rocks  and  precipices,  from 
whence  they  made  piteous  supplications  and  promises  of 
submission.  Many  were  slain,  many  made  prisoners,  and 
the  confederacy  was,  for  the  time,  completely  broken  up. 

Guacanagari  had  accompanied  the  Spaniards  into  the 
field,  but  he  was  little  more  than  a  spectator  of  the  battle. 
His  participation  in  the  hostilities  of  the  white  men, 
however,  was  never  forgiven  by  the  other  caciques  ;  and 
he  returned  to  his  dominions,  followed  by  the  hatred  and 
execrations  of  his  countrymen. 

Columbus  followed  up  his  victory  by  making  a  military 
tour  through  various  parts  of  the  island,  which  were  soon 
reduced  to  subjection.  He  then  exercised  what  he  con 
sidered  the  right  of  a  conqueror,  and  imposed  tributes 
on  the  vanquished  provinces.  In  those  which  possessed 
mines,  each  individual  above  the  age  of  fourteen  years 
was  obliged  to  render,  every  three  months,  the  measure 
of  a  Flemish  hawk's  bell  of  gold  dust.*  The  caciques 
had  to  pay  a  much  larger  amount  for  their  personal 
tribute.  Manicaotex,  the  brother  of  Caonabo,  rendered 
in,  every  three  months,  half  a  calabash  of  gold.  In  those 
provinces  which  produced  no  gold,  each  individual  was 
obliged  to  furnish  twenty-five  pounds  of  cotton  every  three 
months.  A  copper  medal,  suspended  about  the  neck, 
\va.s  a  proof  that  an  Indian  had  paid  his  tribute  ;  any  one 
found  without  such  a  certificate  was  liable  to  arrest  and 
punishment.  Various  fortresses  were  erected  in  the  most 
important  places,  so  as  to  keep  the  Indians  in  complete 
subjection. 

In  this  way  the  yoke  of  servitude  was  fixed  upon  the 
island,  and  its  thraldom  completely  insured.  Deep  de- 

*  Equal  in  ralue  to  fifteen  dollars  of  the  present  time. 


: 

1  1 


\\ 

l\ 


196  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

spair  now  fell  upon  the  natives,  for  they  found  a  perpetual 
task  inflicted  upon  them,  enforced  at  stated  and  fre 
quently  recurring  periods.  Weak  and  indolent  by  nature, 
and  brought  up  in  the  un tasked  idleness  of  their  soft 
climate  and  their  fruitful  groves,  death  itself  seemed 
preferable  to  a  life  of  toil  and  anxiety.  They  saw  no 
end  to  this  harassing  evil,  which  had  so  suddenly  fallen 
upon  them  ;  no  prospect  of  return  to  that  roving  inde 
pendence  and  ample  leisure,  so  clear  to  the  wild  inhabit 
ant  of  the  forest.  The  pleasant  life  of  the  island  was  at 
an  end — the  dream  in  the  shade  by  day;  the  slumber, 
during  the  sultry  noontide  heat,  by  the  fountain  or  the 
stream,  or  under  the  spreading  palm-tree  ;  and  the  song, 
the  dance,  and  the  game  in  the  mellow  evening,  when 
summoned  to  their  simple  amusements  by  the  rude 
Indian  drum.  Or,  if  they  occasionally  indulged  in  a 
national  dance  after  a  day  of  painful  toil,  the  ballads  to 
which  they  kept  time  were  of  a  melancholy  and  plaintive 
character.  They  spoke  of  the  times  that  were  past, 
before  the  white  men  had  introduced  sorrow  and  slavery, 
and  weary  labor  among  them  ;  and  they  rehearsed  proph 
ecies  pretended  to  be  handed  down  from  their  ances- 
,tors,  foretelling  that  strangers  should  come  into  their 
island,'  clothed  in  apparel,  with  swords  capable  of  cleav 
ing  a  man  asunder  at  a  blow,  under  whose  yoke  their  race 
should  be  subdued  and  pass  away.  These  ballads,  or 
areytos,  they  sang  with  mournful  tunes  and  doleful 
voices,  bewailing  the  loss  of  their  liberty  and  their  pain 
ful  servitude. 

They  had  flattered  themselves,  for  a  time,  that  the 
visit  of  the  strangers  would  be  but  temporary,  and  that, 
spreading  their  ample  sails,  their  ships  would  soon  waft 
them  back  to  their  home  in  the  sky.  In  their  simplicity 
they  had  repeatedly  inquired  of  the  Spaniards  when  they 


FATE   OF  GUACANAGARI.  1 9? 

intended  to  return  to  Turey,  or  the  heavens.  All  such 
hope  was  now  at  an  end  ;  and,  finding  how  vain  was 
every  attempt  to  deliver  themselves  from  their  invaders 
by  warlike  means,  they  now  resorted  to  a  forlorn  and 
desperate  alternative.  Knowing  that  the  Spaniards  de 
pended,  in  a  great  measure,  for  subsistence  on  the  sup 
plies  which  they  furnished  them,  they  endeavored  to 
produce  a  famine.  For  this  purpose,  they  destroyed 
their  fields  of  maize,  stripped  the  trees  of  their  fruit, 
pulled  up  the  yuca  and  other  roots,  and  then  fled  to  the 
mountains. 

The  Spaniards  were  indeed  reduced  to  much  distress, 
but  were  partially  relieved  by  supplies  from  Spain.  They 
pursued  the  natives  to  their  mountain  retreats,  hunting 
them  from  one  dreary  fastness  to  another,  until  thousands 
perished  in  dens  and  caverns,  of  famine  and  sickness,  and 
the  survivors,  yielding  themselves  up  in  despair,  sub 
mitted  humbly  to  the  yoke.  So  deep  an  awe  did  they 
conceive  of  their  conquerors,  that  it  is  said  a  Spaniard 
might  go  singly  and  securely  all  over  the  island,  and  the 
natives  would  even  transport  him  from  place  to  place  on 
their  shoulders. 

Before  passing  on  to  other  events,  it  may  be  proper 
here  to  notice  the  fate  of  Guacanagari,  as  he  makes  no 
further  appearance  in  the  course  of  this  history.  His 
friendship  for  the  Spaniards  severed  him  from  his  coun 
trymen,  but  it  did  not  exonerate  him  from  the  general 
woes  of  the  island.  At  a  time  when  Columbus  was  absent 
the  Spaniards  exacted  a  tribute  from  him,  which  his 
people,  with  the  common  repugnance  to  labor,  found  it 
difficult  and  distressing  to  pay.  Unable  to  bear  the  mur 
murs  of  his  subjects,  the  hostilities  of  his  fellow  caciques, 
the  extortions  of  his  ungrateful  allies,  and  the  sight  of 
the  various  miseries  which  he  felt  as  if  he  had  invoked 


I98  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

upon  his  race,  he  retired  to  the  mountains,  where  it  is  said 
he  died  obscurely  and  in  misery. 

An  attempt  has  been  made  by  a  Spanish  historian  to 
defame  the  character  of  this  Indian  prince  ;  but  it  is  not 
for  Spaniards  to  excuse  their  own  ingratitude  by  casting 
a  stigma  upon  his  name.  He  appears  to  have  always 
manifested  towards  them  that  true  friendship  which 
shines  brightest  in  the  dark  days  of  adversity.  He  might 
have  played  a  nobler  part,  in  making  a  stand,  with  his 
brother  caciques,  to  drive  those  intruders  from  his  na 
tive  soil ;  but  he  appears  to  have  been  blinded  by  his 
admiration  of  them,  and  his  personal  attachment  to  Co 
lumbus.  He  was  bountiful,  hospitable,  affectionate,  and 
kind-hearted  ;  competent  to  rule  a  gentle  and  unwarlike 
people  in  the  happier  days  of  the  island,  but  unfitted, 
through  the  mildness  of  his  nature,  for  the  stern  turmoil 
which  followed  the  arrival  of  the  white  men. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

ARRIVAL    OF   THE   COMMISSIONER    AGUADO. — DISCOVERY 
OF    THE    GOLD    MINES    OF    HAYNA.       [1495.] 

WHILE  Columbus  was  endeavoring  to  remedy  the 
evils  produced  by  the  misconduct  of  Margaritc  and  his 
followers,  that  recreant  commander,  and  his  politic  coad 
jutor  Friar  Boyle,  were  busily  undermining  his  reputation 
in  the  court  of  Spain.  They  accused  him  of  deceiving 
the  sovereigns  and  the  public  by  extravagant  descrip 
tions  of  the  countries  he  had  discovered  ;  and  of  tyranny 
and  oppression  towards  the  colonists,  compelling  exces 
sive  labor  during  a  time  of  sickness  and  debility;  inflict- 


MALICE   OF  MARGARITE.  1 99 

ing  severe  punishments  for  the  most  trifling  offence,  and 
heaping  indignities  on  Spanish  gentlemen  of  rank.  They 
said  nothing,  however,  of  the  exigencies  which  had  called 
for  unusual  labor;  nor  of  the  idleness  and  profligacy  of 
the  commonalty,  which  called  for  coercion  and  chastise 
ment  ;  nor  of  the  contumacy  and  cabals  of  the  cava 
liers,  who  had  been  treated  with  indulgence  rather  than 
severity.  These  representations,  being  supported  by 
many  factious  and  discontented  idlers  who  had  returned 
from  the  colony,  and  enforced  by  people  of  rank  con 
nected  with  the  cavaliers,  had  a  baneful  effect  upon 
the  popularity  of  Columbus,  and  his  favor  with  the 
sovereigns. 

About  this  time  a  measure  was  adopted  which  shows 
the  declining  influence  of  the  Admiral.  A  proclamation 
was  made  on  the  loth  of  April,  giving  general  permis 
sion  to  native-born  subjects  to  settle  in  the  island  of 
Hispaniola,  and  to  go  on  private  voyages  of  discovery 
and  traffic  to  the  New  World.  They  were  to  pay  certain 
proportions  of  their  profits  to  the  Crown,  and  to  be  sub 
ject  to  certain  regulations.  The  privilege  of  an  eighth 
part  of  the  tonnage  was  likewise  secured  to  Columbus,  as 
Admiral ;  but  he  felt  himself  exceedingly  aggrieved  at 
this  permission  being  granted  without  his  knowledge  or 
consent,  considering  it  an  infringement  of  his  rights,  and 
a  measure  likely  to  disturb  the  course  of  regular  dis 
covery  by  the  licentious  and  predatory  enterprises  of 
reckless  adventurers. 

The  arrival  of  the  ships  commanded  by  Torres,  bring 
ing  accounts  of  the  voyage  along  the  southern  coasts  of 
Cuba,  supposed  to  be  the  continent  of  Asia,  and  speci 
mens  of  the  gold  and  the  vegetable  and  animal  produc 
tions  of  the  country,  counterbalanced  in  some  degree 
these  unfavorable  representations  of  Margarite  and 


200  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

Boyle.  Still  it  was  determined  to  send  out  a  commis 
sioner  to  inquire  into  the  alleged  distress  of  the  colony 
and  the  conduct  of  Columbus,  and  one  Juan  Aguado 
was  appointed  for  the  purpose.  He  had  already  been 
to  Hispaniola,  and  on  returning  had  been  strongly 
recommended  to  royal  favor  by  Columbus.  In  appoint 
ing  a  person,  therefore,  for  whom  the  Admiral  appeared 
to  have  a  regard,  and  who  was  under  obligations  to  him, 
the  sovereigns  thought,  perhaps,  to  soften  the  harshness 
of  the  measure. 

As  to  the  five  hundred  slaves  sent  home  in  the  ships 
of  Torres,  Isabella  ordered  a  consultation  of  pious  theo 
logians  to  determine  whether,  having  been  taken  in  war 
fare,  their  sale  as  slaves  would  be  justifiable  in  the  sight 
of  God.  Much  difference  of  opinion  arose  among  the 
divines  on  this  important  question  ;  whereupon  the  queen 
decided  it  according  to  the  dictates  of  her  conscience 
and  her  heart,  and  ordered  that  the  Indians  should  be 
taken  back  to  their  native  country. 

Juan  de  Aguado  set  sail  from  Spain  towards  the  end 
of  August,  with  four  caravels  freighted  with  supplies,  and 
Don  Diego  Columbus  returned  in  this  squadron  to  His 
paniola.  Aguado  was  one  of  those  weak  men  whose 
heads  are  turned  by  the  least  elevation.  Though  under 
obligations  to  Columbus,  he  forgot  them  all,  and  forgot 
even  the  nature  and  extent  of  his  own  commission. 
Finding  Columbus  absent  in  the  interior  of  the  island, 
on  his  arrival,  he  acted  as  if  the  reins  of  government  had 
been  transferred  into  his  hands.  He  paid  no  respect  to 
Don  Bartholomew,  who  had  been  placed  in  command  by 
his  brother  during  his  absence,  but  proclaiming  his  letter 
of  credence  by  sound  of  trumpet,  he  proceeded  to  arrest 
various  public  officers,  to  call  others  to  rigorous  account, 
and  to  invite  every  one  who  had  wrongs  or  grievances 


MEETING   OF  AGUADO   AND    COLUMBUS.  2OI 

to  complain  of,  to  come  forward  boldly  and  make  them 
known.  He  already  regarded  Columbus  as  a  criminal, 
and  intimated,  and  perhaps  thought,  that  he  was  keeping 
at  a  distance  through  fear  of  his  investigations.  He 
even  talked  of  setting  off  at  the  head  of  a  body  of  horse 
to  arrest  him.  The  whole  community  was  in  confusion  ; 
the  downfall  of  the  family  of  Columbus  was  considered 
as  arrived,  and  some  thought  the  Admiral  would  lose  his 
head. 

The  news  of  the  arrival  and  of  the  insolent  conduct  of 
Aguado  reached  Columbus  in  the  interior  of  the  island, 
and  he  immediately  hastened  to  Isabella  to  give  him  a 
meeting.  As  every  one  knew  the  lofty  spirit  of  Colum 
bus,  his  high  sense  of  his  services,  and  his  jealous  mainte 
nance  of  his  official  dignity,  a  violent  explosion  was  an 
ticipated  at  the  impending  interview.  The  natural  heat 
and  impetuosity  of  Columbus,  however,  had  been  sub 
dued  by  a  life  of  trials,  and  he  had  learnt  to  bring  his 
passions  into  subjection  to  his  judgment ;  he  had  too 
true  an  estimate  of  his  own  dignity  to  enter  into  a 
contest  with  a  shallow  boaster  like  Aguado :  above  all, 
he  had  a  profound  reverence  for  the  authority  of  his 
sovereigns  ;  for,  in  his  enthusiastic  spirit,  prone  to  deep 
feelings  of  reverence,  loyalty  was  inferior  only  to  religion. 
He  received  Aguado,  therefore,  with  the  most  grave  and 
punctilious  courtesy,  ordered  his  letter  of  credence  to  be 
again  proclaimed  by  sound  of  trumpet,  and  assured  him 
of  his  readiness  to  acquiesce  in  whatever  might  be  the 
pleasure  of  his  sovereigns. 

The  moderation  of  Columbus  was  regarded  by  many, 
and  by  Aguado  himself,  as  a  proof  of  his  loss  of  moral 
courage.  Every  dastard  spirit  who  had  any  lurking  ill 
will,  any  real  or  imaginary  cause  of  complaint,  now  has 
tened  to  give  it  utterance.  It  was  a  time  of  jubilee  for 


202  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

offenders;  every  culprit  started  up  into  an  accuser; 
every  one  who  by  negligence  or  crime  had  incurred  the 
wholesome  penalties  of  the  laws  was  loud  in  his  clamors 
of  oppression  ;  and  all  the  ills  of  the  colony,  however 
produced,  were  ascribed  to  the  maladministration  of  the 
Admiral. 

Aguado  listened  to  every  accusation  with  ready  cre 
dulity,  and  having  collected  information  sufficient,  as  he 
thought,  to  insure  the  ruin  of  the  Admiral  and  his  broth 
ers,  prepared  to  return  to  Spain.  Columbus  resolved  to 
do  the  same ;  for  he  felt  that  it  was  time  to  appear  at 
court,  to  vindicate  his  conduct  from  the  misrepresenta 
tions  of  his  enemies  and  to  explain  the  causes  of  the  dis 
tresses  of  the  colony,  and  of  the  disappointments  with 
respect  to  revenue,  which  he  feared  might  discourage  the 
prosecution  of  his  discoveries. 

When  the  ships  were  ready  to  depart,  a  terrible  storm 
swept  the  island  ;  it  was  one  of  those  awful  whirlwinds 
which  occasionally  rage  within  the  tropics,  and  which 
were  called  "  Uricans  "  by  the  Indians,  a  name  which  they 
still  retain.  Three  of  the  ships  at  anchor  in  the  harbor 
were  sunk  by  it,  with  all  who  were  on  board ;  others 
were  dashed  against  each  other,  and  driven  mere  wrecks 
upon  the  shore*.  The  Indians  were  overwhelmed  with 
astonishment  and  dismay,  for  never  in  their  memory,  or 
in  the  traditions  of  their  ancestors,  had  they  known  so 
tremendous  a  storm.  They  believed  that  the  Deity  had 
sent  it  in  punishment  of  the  cruelties  and  crimes  of  the 
white  men,  and  declared  that  this  people  moved  the  very 
air,  the  water,  and  the  earth  to  disturb  their  tranquil  life, 
and  to  desolate  their  island. 

The  departure  of  Columbus,  and  of  Aguado,  was 
delayed  until  one  of  the  shattered  vessels,  the  "  Nifia," 
could  be  repaired,  and  another  constructed  out  of  the 


204  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

fragments  of  the  wrecks.  In  the  meantime,  information 
was  received  of  rich  mines  in  the  interior  of  the  island. 
A  young  Arragonian,  named  Miguel  Diaz,  in  the  service 
of  the  adelantado,  having  wounded  a  companion  in  a 
quarrel,  fled  from  the  settlement,  accompanied  by  five  or 
six  comrades,  who  had  either  been  engaged  in  the  affray, 
or  were  personally  attached  to  him.  Wandering  about 
the  island,  they  at  length  came  to  an  Indian  village,  on 
the  banks  of  the  Ozema,  where  the  city  of  San  Domingo 
is  at  present  situated  ;  they  were  received  with  kindness 
by  the  natives,  and  resided  for  some  time  among  them. 
The  village  was  governed  by  a  female  cacique,  who  soon 
conceived  a  strong  affection  for  the  young  Arragonian. 
A  connection  was  formed  between  them,  and  they  lived 
for  some  time  very  happily  together.  At  length  the 
remembrance  of  his  country  and  his  friends  began  to 
haunt  the  mind  of  the  Spaniard  ;  he  longed  to  return  to 
the  settlement,  but  dreaded  the  austere  justice  of  the  ade 
lantado.  His  Indian  bride,  observing  him  frequently  lost 
in  gloomy  thought,  drew  from  him  the  cause  of  his  melan 
choly.  Fearful  that  he  would  abandon  her,  and  knowing 
the  influence  of  gold  over  the  white  men,  she  informed 
him  of  certain  rich  mines  in  the  neighborhood,  and  urged 
him  to  persuade  his  countrymen  to  abandon  Isabella, 
and  remove  to  that  part  of  the  island,  to  the  fertile  banks 
of  the  Ozema,  promising  that  they  should  be  hospitably 
received  by  her  nation. 

Diaz  was  rejoiced  at  this  intelligence,  and  hastened 
with  it  to  the  scttjement,  flattering  himself  that  it  would 
make  his  peace  with  the  adelantado.  He  was  not  mis 
taken.  No  tidings  could  have  come  more  opportunely, 
for,  if  true,  they  would  furnish  the  Admiral  with  the  most 
effectual  means  of  silencing  the  cavils  of  his  enemies. 

The  adelantado   immediately  set  out  in  company  with 


DISCOVERY  OF  GOLD.  2O5 

Diaz  and  his  Indian  guides.  He  was  conducted  to  the 
banks  of  a  river  called  the  Hayna,  where  he  found  gold 
in  greater  quantities  and  larger  particles  than  even  in  the 
rich  province  of  Cibao,  and  observed  several  excavations, 
where  it  appeared  as  if  mines  had  been  worked  in  ancient 
times.  Columbus  was  overjoyed  at  the  sight  of  these 
specimens,  brought  back  by  the  adelantado,  and  was 
surprised  to  hear  of  the  excavations,  as  the  Indians 
possessed  no  knowledge  of  mining,  and  merely  picked  up 
the  gold  from  the  surface  of  the  soil  or  the  beds  of  the 
rivers.  The  circumstance  gave  rise  to  one  of  his  usual 
veins  of  visionary  speculation.  He  had  already  surmised 
that  Hispaniola  might  be  the  ancient  Ophir;  he  now 
fancied  he  had  discovered  the  identical  mines  from 
whence  King  Solomon  had  procured  his  great  supplies  of 
gold  for  the  building  of  the  temple  of  Jerusalem.  He 
gave  orders  that  a  fortress  should  be  immediately  erected 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  mines,  and  that  they  should  be 
diligently  worked ;  and  he  now  looked  forward  with 
confidence  to  his  return  to  Spain,  the  bearer  of  such 
golden  tidings. 

It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  mention  that  Miguel 
Diaz  remained  faithful  to  his  Indian  bride,  who  was 
baptized  by  the  name  of  Catalina.  They  were  regularly 
married  and  had  two  children. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

RETURN   OF  COLUMBUS   TO    SPAIN.— PREPARATIONS    FOR 
A  THIRD   VOYAGE.      [1496.] 

THE  new  caravel,  the  "  Santa  Cruz,"  being  finished,  and 
the  "  Nifta  "  repaired,  Columbus  gave  the  command  of  the 


LEAVES  FOR  SPAIN.  2O7 

island  during  his  absence  to  his  brother,  Don  Bartholo 
mew,  with  the  title  of  adelantado.  He  then  embarked 
on  board  of  one  of  the  caravels,  and  Aguado  in  the  other. 
The  vessels  were  crowded  with  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  passengers,  the  sick,  the  idle,  the  profligate  and  fac 
tious  of  the  colony.  Never  did  a  more  miserable  and 
disappointed  crew  return  from  a  land  of  promise. 

There  were  thirty  Indians  also  on  board,  and  among 
them  the  once  redoubtable  Caonabo,  together  with  one 
of  his  brothers  and  a  nephew.  The  Admiral  had  prom 
ised  to  restore  them  to  their  country  and  their  power, 
after  having  presented  them  to  the  sovereigns  ;  trusting, 
by  kind  treatment  and  a  display  of  the  wonders  of  Spain, 
to  conquer  their  hostility,  and  convert  them  into  impor 
tant  instruments  for  the  quiet  subjugation  of  the  island. 

Being  as  yet  but  little  experienced  in  the  navigation  of 
these  seas,  Columbus,  instead  of  working  up  to  the  north 
ward,  so  as  to  fall  in  with  the  tract  of  westerly  winds, 
took  an  easterly  course  on  leaving  the  island.  His 
voyage,  in  consequence,  became  a  toilsome  and  tedious 
struggle  against  the  trade  winds  and  calms  which  prevail 
between  the  tropics.  Though  he  sailed  on  the  loth  of 
March,  yet  on  the  6th  of  April  he  was  still  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  Caribbee  Islands,  and  had  to  touch  at  Guadaloupe 
to  procure  provisions.  Here  skirmishes  occurred  with  the 
fierce  natives,  both  male  and  female ;  for  the  women  were 
perfect  amazons,  of  large  and  powerful  frame  and  great 
agility.  Several  of  the  latter  were  taken  prisoners;  they 
were  naked,  and  wore  their  hair  loose  and  flowing  upon 
their  shoulders,  though  some  decorated  their  heads  with 
tufts  of  feathers.  Their  weapons  were  bows  and  arrows. 
Among  them  was  the  wife  of  a  cacique,  a  woman  of  a  proud 
and  resolute  spirit.  On  the  approach  of  the  Spaniards 
she  had  fled  with  an  agility  that  soon  distanced  all  pur- 


208  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

suers,  excepting  a  native  of  the  Canary  Islands,  noted  for 
swiftness  of  foot.  She  would  have  escaped  even  from 
him,  but  perceiving  that  he  was  alone,  and  far  from  his 
companions,  she  suddenly  turned  upon  him,  seized  him 
by  the  throat,  and  would  have  strangled  him,  had  not  the 
Spaniards  arrived  and  taken  her,  entangled  like  a  hawk 
with  her  prey. 

When  Columbus  departed  from  the  island  he  dismissed 
all  the  prisoners  with  presents.  The  female  cacique  alone 
refused  to  go  on  shore.  She  had  conceived  a  passion  for 
Caonabo,  having  found  out  that  he  was  a  Carib,  and  she 
had  been  won  by  the  story,  gathered  from  the  other 
Indians,  of  his  great  valor  and  his  misfortunes.  In  the 
course  of  the  voyage,  however,  the  unfortunate  Caonabo 
expired.  He  maintained  his  haughty  nature  to  the  last, 
for  his  death  is  principally  ascribed  to  the  morbid  melan 
choly  of  a  proud  but  broken  spirit.  His  fate  furnishes, 
on  a  narrow  scale,  a  picture  of  the  fallacy  of  human  great 
ness.  When  the  Spaniards  first  arrived  on  the  coast  of 
•Hayti,  their  imaginations  were  inflamed  with  rumors  of  a 
magnificent  prince  among  the  mountains,  the  Lord  of  the 
Golden  House,  the  sovereign  of  the  mines  of  Cibao  ;  but 
a  short  time  had  elapsed,  and  he  was  a  naked  and  moody 
prisoner  on  the  deck  of  one  of  their  caravels,  with  none 
but  one  of  his  own  wild  native  heroines  to  sympathize  in 
his  misfortunes.  All  his  importance  vanished  with  his 
freedom  ;  scarce  any  mention  is  made  of  him  during  his 
captivity;  and  with  innate  qualities  of  a  high  and  heroic 
nature,  he  perished  with  the  obscurity  of  one  of  the 
vulgar. 

Columbus  left  Guadaloupe  on  the  2Oth  of  April,  still 
working  his  way  against  the  whole  current  of  the  trade 
winds.  By  the  2Oth  of  May  but  a  portion  of  the  voyage 
was  performed,  yet  the  provisions  were  so  much  exhaust- 


LANDING  AT  CADIZ.  2OQ 

ed  that  every  one  was  put  on  an  allowance  of  six  ounces 
of  bread,  and  a  pint  and  a  half  of  water.  By  the  begin 
ning  of  June  there  was  an  absolute  famine  on  board  of 
the  ships,  and  some  proposed  that  they  should  kill  and 
eat  their  Indian  prisoners,  or  throw  them  into  the  sea  as 
so  many  useless  mouths.  Nothing  but  the  absolute 
authority  of  Columbus  prevented  this  last  counsel  from 
being  adopted.  He  represented  that  the  Indians  were 
their  fellow-beings,  some  of  them  Christians  like  them 
selves,  and  all  entitled  to  similar  treatment.  He  exhort 
ed  them  to  a  little  patience,  assuring  them  they  would 
soon  make  land,  as,  according  to  his  reckoning,  they  could 
not  be  far  from  Cape  St.  Vincent.  They  scoffed  at  his 
words,  for  they  believed  themselves  as  yet  far  from  their 
desired  haven.  The  next  morning,  however,  proved  the 
correctness  of  his  calculations,  for  they  made  the  very 
land  he  had  predicted. 

On  the  i  ith  of  June  the  vessels  anchored  in  the  Bay  of 
Cadiz.  The  populace  crowded  to  witness  the  landing  of 
the  gay  and  bold  adventurers,  who  had  sailed  from  this 
very  port  animated  by  the  most  sanguine  expectations. 
Instead,  however,  of  a  joyous  crew,  bounding  on  shore, 
flushed  with  success,  and  rich  with  the  spoils  of  the 
golden  Indies,  a  feeble  train  of  wretched  men  crawled 
forth,  emaciated  by  the  diseases  of  the  colony  and  the 
hardships  of  the  voyage ;  who  carried  in  their  yellow 
countenances,  says  an  old  writer,  a  mockery  of  that  gold 
which  had  been  the  object  of  their  search  ;  and  who  had 
nothing  to  relate  of  the  New  World  but  tales  of  sickness, 
poverty,  and  disappointment. 

The  appearance  of  Columbus  himself  was  a  kind  of 
comment  on  his  fortunes.  Either  considering  himself  in 
disgrace  with  the  sovereigns,  or  having  made  some  peni 
tential  vow,  he  was  clad  in  the  habit  of  a  Franciscan 
14 


210  THE   LIFE   OF   COLUMBUS. 

monk,  girded  with  a  cord,  and  he  had  suffered  his 
beard  to  grow  like  the  friars  of  that  order.  But  however 
humble  he  might  be  in  his  own  personal  appearance,  he 
endeavored  to  keep  alive  the  public  interest  in  his  dis 
coveries.  On  his  way  to  Burgos,  to  meet  the  sovereigns, 
he  made  a  studious  display  of  the  coronets,  collars, 
bracelets,  and  other  ornaments  of  gold  which  he  had 
brought  from  the  New  World.  He  carried  with  him,  also, 
several  Indians,  decorated  with  glittering  ornaments,  and 
among  them  the  brother  of  Caonabo,  on  whom  he  put  a 
massive  collar  and  chain  of  gold,  weighing  six  hundred 
castillanos,*  as  being  cacique  of  the  golden  country  of 
Cibao. 

The  reception  of  Columbus  by  the  sovereigns  was 
different  from  what  he  had  anticipated,  for  he  was 
treated  with  distinguished  favor;  nor  was  any  mention 
made  either  of  the  complaints  of  Margarite  and  Boyle,  or 
the  judicial  inquiries  conducted  by  Aguado.  However 
these  may  have  had  a  transient  effect  upon  the  minds 
of  the  sovereigns,  they  were  too  conscious  of  his  great 
deserts,  and  of  the  extraordinary  difficulties  of  his  situa 
tion,  not  to  tolerate  what  they  may  have  considered 
errors  on  his  part. 

Encouraged  by  the  interest  with  which  the  sovereigns 
listened  to  his  account  of  his  recent  voyage  along  the 
coast  of  Cuba,  bordering,  as  he  supposed,  on  the  rich 
tenitories  of  the  Grand  Khan,  and  of  his  discovery  of 
the  mines  of  Hayna,  which  he  failed  not  to  represent  as 
the  ();>hir  of  the  ancients,  Columbus  now  proposed  a 
further  enterprise,  by  which  he  promised  to  make  yet 
more  extensive  discoveries,  and  to  annex  a  vast  and  un 
appropriated  portion  of  the  continent  of  Asia  to  their 
dominions.  All  he  asked  was  eight  ships,  two  to  be 
*  Equivalent  to  3,195  dollars  of  the  present  time. 


212  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

dispatched  to  Hispaniola  with  supplies,  the  remaining 
six  to  be  put  under  his  command  for  the  voyage. 

The  sovereigns  readily  promised  to  comply  with  his 
request,  and  were  probably  sincere  in  their  intentions  to 
do  so  ;  but  in  the  performance  of  their  promise  Colum 
bus  was  doomed  to  meet  with  intolerable  delay.  The 
resources  of  Spain  at  this  moment  were  tasked  to  the 
utmost  by  the  ambition  of  Ferdinand,  who  lavished  all 
his  revenues  in  warlike  enterprises.  While  maintaining 
a  contest  of  deep  and  artful  policy  with  France,  with  the 
ultimate  aim  of  grasping  the  sceptre  of  Naples,  he  was 
laying  the  foundation  of  a  wide  and  powerful  connection 
by  the  marriages  of  the  royal  children,  who  were  now 
maturing  in  years.  At  this  time  rose  that  family  alliance 
which  afterwards  consolidated  such  an  immense  empire 
under  his  grandson  and  successor,  Charles  the  Fifth. 

These  widely  extended  operations  both  ot  war  and 
amity  put  all  the  land  and  naval  forces  into  requisition, 
drained  the  royal  treasury,  and  engrossed  the  time  and 
thoughts  of  the  sovereigns.  It  was  not  until  the  spring 
of  1497  that  Isabella  could  find  leisure  to  enter  fully  into 
the  concerns  of  the  New  World.  She  then  took  them 
up  with  a  spirit  that  showed  she  was  determined  to  place 
them  upon  a  substantial  foundation,  as  well  as  clearly  to 
define  the  powers  and  reward  the  services  of  Columbus. 
To  her  protecting  zeal  all  the  provisions  in  favor  of  the 
latter  must  be  attributed,  for  the  king  began  to  look 
coldly  on  him,  and  Fonscca,  who  had  most  influence 
in  the  affairs  of  the  Indies,  was  his  implacable  enemy. 
As  the  expenses  of  the  expeditions  had  hitherto  exceed 
ed  the  returns,  Columbus  was  relieved  of  his  eighth  part 
of  the  cost  of  the  past  enterprises  and  allowed  an  eighth 
part  of  the  gross  proceeds  for  the  next  three  years,  and 
a  tenth  of  the  net  profits.  He  was  allowed  also  to 


PREPARING  FOR  A    THIRD    VOYAGE.  21$ 

establish  a  mayorazgo,  or  entailed  estate,  in  his  family, 
of  which  he  immediately  availed  himself,  devising  his 
estates  to  his  male  descendants,  with  the  express  charge 
that  his  successor  should  never  use  any  other  title  in 
signature  than  simply  "  The  Admiral."  As  he  had  felt 
aggrieved  by  the  royal  license  for  general  discovery, 
granted  in  1495,  it  was  annulled  as  far  as  it  might  be 
prejudicial  to  his  interests,  or  to  the  previous  grants 
made  him  by  the  Crown.  The  titles  and  prerogatives  of 
adelantado  were  likewise  conferred  upon  Don  Barthol 
omew,  though  the  king  had  at  first  been  displeased  with 
Columbus  for  investing  his  brother  with  dignities  which 
were  only  in  the  gift  of  the  sovereign. 

While  all  these  measures  were  taken  for  the  immediate 
gratification  of  Columbus,  others  were  adopted  for  the 
good  of  the  colony.  The  precise  number  of  persons  was 
fixed  who  were  to  be  sent  to  Hispaniola,  among  whom 
were  several  females ;  and  regulations  were  made  for 
their  payment  and  support,  and  for  the  distribution  of 
lands  among  them,  to  be  diligently  cultivated.  The 
greatest  care  was  enjoined  likewise  by  Isabella  in  the 
religious  instruction  of  the  natives,  and  the  utmost  lenity 
in  collecting  the  tributes  imposed  upon  them.  With 
respect  to  the  government  of  the  colony,  also,  it  was 
generally  recommended  that,  whenever  the  public  safety 
did  not  require  stern  measures,  there  should  be  mani 
fested  a  disposition  to  indulgent  and  easy  rule. 

When  every  intention  was  thus  shown  on  the  part  of 
the  Crown  to  dispatch  the  expedition,  unexpected  diffi 
culties  arose  on  the  part  of  the  public.  The  charm  was 
dispelled  which,  in  the  preceding  voyage,  had  made 
every  adventurer  crowd  into  the  service  of  Columbus; 
the  new-found  world,  instead  of  a  region  of  wealth  and 
enjoyment,  was  now  considered  a  land  of  poverty  and 


214  THE   LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

disaster.  To  supply  the  want  of  voluntary  recruits, 
therefore,  Columbus  proposed  to  transport  to  Hispaniola, 
for  a  limited  term  of  years,  all  criminals  condemned  to 
banishment  or  the  galleys,  excepting  such  as  had  com 
mitted  crimes  of  an  atrocious  nature.  This  pernicious 
measure  shows  the  desperate  alternative  to  which  he  was 
reduced  by  the  reaction  of  public  sentiment.  It  proved 
a  fruitful  source  of  misery  and  disaster  to  the  colony; 
and  having  frequently  been  adopted  by  various  nations, 
whose  superior  experience  should  have  taught  them 
better,  has  proved  the  bane  of  many  a  rising  settlement. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  expedients,  and  the  urgent 
representations  of  Columbus  of  the  sufferings  to  which 
the  colony  must  be  reduced  for  want  of  supplies,  it  was 
not  until  the  beginning  of  1498  that  the  two  ships  were 
dispatched  to  Hispaniola,  under  the  command  of  Pedro 
Fernandez  Coronal.  A  still  further  delay  occurred  in 
fitting  out  the  six  ships  that  were  to  bear  Columbus  on 
his  voyage  of  discovery.  His  cold-blooded  enemy  Fon- 
seca,  who  was  now  Bishop  of  Badajoz,  having  the  super 
intendence  of  Indian  affairs,  was  enabled  to  impede  and 
retard  all  his  plans.  The  various  officers  and  agents 
employed  in  the  concerns  of  the  armament  were  most 
of  them  dependents  and  minions  of  the  bishop,  and 
sought  to  gratify  him  by  throwing  all  kinds  of  difficulties 
in  the  way  of  Columbus,  treating  him  with  that  arro 
gance  which  petty  and  ignoble  men  in  place  are  prone  to 
exercise,  when  they  think  they  can  do  so  with  impunity. 
So  wearied  and  disheartened  did  he  become  by  these 
delays,  and  by  the  prejudices  of  the  fickle  public,  that 
he  at  one  time  thought  of  abandoning  his  discoveries 
altogether. 

The  insolence  of  these  worthless  men  harassed  him  to 
the  last  moment  of  his  sojourn  in  Spain,  and  followed 


INSOLENCE   OF  XIMENO.  21$ 

him  to  the  water's  edge.  One  of  the  most  noisy  and 
presuming  was  one  Ximeno  de  Breviesca,  treasurer  of 
Fonseca,  a  converted  Jew  or  Moor,  and  a  man  of  impu 
dent  front  and  unbridled  tongue,  who,  echoing  the  senti 
ment  of  his  patron  the  bishop,  had  been  loud  in  his  abuse 
of  the  Admiral  and  his  enterprises. 

At  the  very  time  that  Columbus  was  on  the  point  of 
embarking,  he  was  assailed  by  the  insolence  of  this 
Ximeno.  Forgetting,  in  the  hurry  and  indignation  of 
the  moment,  his  usual  self-command,  he  struck  the  des 
picable  minion  to  the  earth,  and  spurned  him  with  his 
foot,  venting  in  this  unguarded  paroxysm  the  accumu 
lated  griefs  and  vexations  which  had  long  rankled  in  his 
heart.  This  transport  of  passion,  so  unusual  in  his  well- 
governed  temper,  was  artfully  made  use  of  by  Fonseca 
and  others  of  his  enemies,  to  injure  him  in  the  royal 
favor.  The  personal  castigation  of  a  public  officer 
was  represented  as  a  flagrant  instance  of  his  vindictive 
temper,  and  a  corroboration  of  the  charges  of  cruelty 
and  oppression  sent  home  from  the  colony ;  and  we  are 
assured  that  certain  humiliating  measures,  shortly  after 
wards  adopted  towards  him,  were  in  consequence  of  the 
effect  produced  upon  the  sovereigns  by  these  misrep 
resentations.  Columbus  himself  deeply  regretted  his 
indiscretion,  and  foresaw  the  invidious  use  that  would 
be  made  of  it.  It  would  be  difficult  to  make,  with  equal 
brevity,  a  more  direct  and  affecting  appeal  than  that 
contained  in  one  of  his  letters,  wherein  he  alludes  to 
this  affair.  He  entreats  the  sovereigns  not  to  let  it  be 
wrested  to  his  injury  in  their  opinion  ;  but  to  remember, 
when  anything  should  be  said  to  his  disparagement,  that 
he  was  "  absent,  envied,  and  a  stranger." 


2l6  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

DISCOVERY   OF   TRINIDAD   AND    THE   COAST   OF    PARIA. — 
ARRIVAL   AT   SAN   DOMINGO.      [1498.] 

ON  the  30th  of  May,  1498,  Columbus  set  sail  from  the 
port  of  San  Lucar  de  Barrameda,  with  a  squadron  of  six 
vessels,  on  his  third  voyage  of  discovery.  From  various 
considerations,  he  was  induced  to  take  a  different  route 
from  that  pursued  in  his  former  expeditions.  He  had 
been  assured,  by  persons  who  had  traded  to  the  East, 
that  the  rarest  objects  of  commerce,  such  as  gold, 
precious  stones,  drugs,  and  spices,  were  chiefly  to  be 
found  in  the  regions  about  the  equator,  where  the  in 
habitants  were  black  or  darkly  colored ;  and  that,  until 
he  arrived  among  people  of  such  complexions,  it  was  not 
probable  he  would  find  those  articles  in  great  abundance. 

Columbus  expected  to  find  such  people  more  to  the 
south  and  southeast.  He  recollected  that  the  natives 
of  Hispaniola  had  spoken  of  black  men  who  had  once 
come  to  their  island  from  the  south,  the  heads  of  whose 
javelins  were  of  guanin,  or  adulterated  gold.  The  natives 
of  the  Caribbee  Islands,  also,  had  informed  him  that  a 
great  tract  of  the  mainland  lay  to  the  south  ;  and  in  his 
preceding  voyage  he  had  remarked  that  Cuba,  which  he 
supposed  to  be  the  continent  of  Asia,  swept  off  in  that 
direction.  He  proposed,  therefore,  to  take  his  departure 
from  the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands,  sailing  to  the  southwest 
until  he  should  come  under  the  equinoctial  line,  then  to 
steer  directly  westward,  with  the  favor  of  the  trade  winds. 

Having  touched  at  the  islands  of  Porto  Santo  and 
Madeira,  to  take  in  wood  and  water,  he  continued  his 


2l8  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

course  to  the  Canary  Islands,  from  whence  lie  dispatched 
three  of  his  ships  direct  for  Hispaniola,  with  supplies  for 
the  colony.  With  the  remaining  three  he  prosecuted  his 
voyage  towards  the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands.  The  ship 
in  which  he  sailed  was  decked,  the  other  two  were  mer 
chant  caravels.  As  he  advanced  within  the  tropics,  the 
change  of  climate  and  the  close  and  sultry  weather 
brought  on  a  severe  attack  of  the  gout,  accompanied  by 
a  violent  fever;  but  he  still  enjoyed  the  full  possession 
of  his  faculties,  and  continued  to  keep  his  reckoning 
and  make  his  observations  with  his  usual  vigilance  and 
minuteness. 

On  the  5th  of  July  he  took  his  departure  from  the  Cape 
de  Verde  Islands,  and  steered  to  the  southwest  until  he 
arrived,  according  to  his  observations,  in  the  fifth  degree 
of  north  latitude.  Here  the  wind  suddenly  fell,  and  a 
dead,  sultry  calm  succeeded.  The  air  was  like  a  furnace, 
the  tar  melted  from  the  sides  of  the  ships,  the  seams 
yawned,  the  salt  meat  became  putrid,  the  wheat  was 
parched  as  if  with  fire,  some  of  the  wine  and  water  casks 
burst,  and  the  heat  in  the  holds  of  the  vessels  was  so  suf 
focating  that  no  one  could  remain  below  to  prevent  the 
damage  that  was  taking  place  among  the  sea  stores.  The 
mariners  lost  all  strength  and  spirits.  It  seemed  as  if  the 
old  fable  of  the  torrid  zone  was  about  to  be  realized,  and 
that  they  were  approaching  a  fiery  region  where  it  would 
be  impossible  to  exist.  It  is  true,  the  heavens  became 
overcast,  and  there  were  drizzling  showers,  but  the  at 
mosphere  was  close  and  stifling,  and  there  was  that 
combination  of  heat  and  moisture  which  relaxes  all  the 
energies  of  the  human  frame. 

A  continuation  of  this  weather,  together  with  the  re 
monstrances  of  his  crew,  and  his  extreme  suffering  from 
the  gout,  ultimately  induced  him  to  alter  his  route,  and 


COASTING  ALONG    TRINIDAD.  219 

stand  to  the  northwest,  in  hopes  of  falling  in  with  the 
Caribbee  Islands,  where  he  might  repair  his  ships,  and 
obtain  water  and  provisions.  After  sailing  some  distance 
in  this  direction,  through  an  ordeal  of  heats  and  calms, 
and  murky,  stifling  atmosphere,  the  ships  all  at  once 
emerged  into  a  genial  region  ;  a  pleasant,  cooling  breeze 
played  over  the  sea,  and  gently  filled  their  sails;  the  sky 
became  serene  and  clear,  and  the  sun  shone  forth  with  all 
its  splendor,  but  no  longer  with  a  burning  heat. 

On  the  3 1st  of  July,  when  there  was  not  above  a  cask 
of  water  remaining  in  each  ship,  a  mariner,  named  Alonzo 
Perez,  descried,  from  the  masthead,  three  mountains  ris 
ing  above  the  horizon.  As  the  ships  drew  nearer,  these 
mountains  proved  to  be  united  at  the  base.  Columbus, 
therefore,  from  a  religious  association  of  ideas,  gave  this 
island  the  name  of  La  Trinidad,  which  it  continues  to  bear 
at  the  present  day. 

Shaping  his  course  for  this  island,  he  approached  its 
eastern  extremity,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Punta 
de  Galera,  from  a  rock  in  the  sea  which  resembled  a  gal 
ley  under  sail.  He  then  coasted  along  the  southern  shore, 
between  Trinidad  and  the  mainland,  which  he  beheld  on 
the  south,  stretching  to  the  distance  of  more  than  twenty 
leagues.  It  was  that  low  tract  of  coast  intersected  by  the 
numerous  branches  of  the  Orinoco,  but  the  Admiral,  sup 
posing  it  to  be  an  island,  gave  it  the  name  of  La  Isla 
Santa  ;  little  imagining  that  he  now,  for  the  first  time, 
beheld  that  continent,  that  Terra  Firma,  which  had  been 
the  object  of  his  earnest  search. 

He  was  for  several  days  coasting  the  island  of  Trini 
dad,  and  exploring  the  great  Gulf  of  Paria,  which  lies  be 
hind  it,  fancying  himself  among  islands,  and  that  he  must 
find  a  passage  to  the  open  ocean  by  keeping  to  the  bot 
tom  of  the  gulf.  During  this  time  he  was  nearly  swept 


22O  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

from  his  anchors  and  thrown  on  shore  by  a  sudden  rush 
and  swell  of  the  sea,  near  Point  Arenal,  between  Trinidad 
and  the  mainland,  caused,  as  is  supposed,  by  the  swelling 
of  one  of  the  rivers  which  flow  into  the  gulf.  He  landed 
on  the  inside  of  the  long  promontory  of  Paria,  which  he 
mistook  for  an  island,  and  had  various  interviews  with  the 
natives,  from  whom  he  procured  great  quantities  of  pearls, 
many  of  a  fine  size  and  quality. 

There  were  several  phenomena  that  surprised  and 
perplexed  Columbus  in  the  course  of  his  voyage  along 
this  coast,  and  which  gave  rise  to  speculations,  some  in 
genious  and  others  fanciful.  He  was  astonished  at  the 
vast  body  of  fresh  water  continually  flowing  into  the  gulf 
of  Paria,  so  as  apparently  to  sweeten  the  whole  surround 
ing  sea,  and  at  the  constant  current  which  set  through  it, 
which  he  supposed  to  be  produced  by  some  great  river. 
He  remarked,  with  wondering,  also,  the  difference  be 
tween  the  climate,  vegetation,  and  people  of  these  coasts, 
and  those  of  the  same  parallel  in  Africa.  There  the  heat 
was  insupportable  and  the  land  parched  and  sterile,  the 
inhabitants  were  black,  with  crisped  wool,  ill-shapen,  and 
of  dull  and  brutal  natures.  Here,  on  the  contrary,  al 
though  the  sun  was  in  Leo,  he  found  the  noontide  heat 
moderate,  the  mornings  and  evenings  fresh  and  cool,  the 
country  green  and  fruitful,  covered  with  beautiful  forests 
and  watered  by  innumerable  streams  and  fountains  ;  the 
people  fairer  than  even  those  in  the  lands  he  had  discov 
ered  further  north,  with  long  hair,  well  proportioned  and 
graceful  forms,  lively  minds,  and  courageous  spirits.  In 
respect  to  the  vast  body  of  fresh  water,  he  made  one  of 
his  simple  and  great  conclusions.  Such  a  mighty  stream 
could  not  be  produced  by  an  island  ;  it  must  be  the  out 
pouring  of  a  continent.  He  now  supposed  that  the  va 
rious  tracts  of  land  which  he  had  beheld  about  the  gulf 


222  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

were  connected  together,  and  continued  to  an  immense 
distance  to  the  south,  far  beyond  the  equator,  into  that 
hemisphere  hitherto  unknown  to  civilized  man.  As  to 
the  mild  temperature  of  the  climate,  the  fresh  verdure  of 
the  country,  and  the  comparative  fairness  of  the  inhabit 
ants,  in  a  parallel  so  near  to  the  equator,  he  attributed 
it  to  the  superior  elevation  of  this  part  of  the  globe;  for, 
from  a  variety  of  circumstances,  ingeniously  but  errone 
ously  reasoned  upon,  he  inferred  that  philosophers  had 
been  mistaken  in  the  form  of  the  earth,  which,  instead  of 
being  a  perfect  sphere,  he  now  concluded  to  be  shaped 
like  a  pear,  one  part  more  elevated  than  the  rest,  rising 
into  the  purer  regions  of  the  air,  above  the  heats  and 
frosts  and  storms  of  the  lower  parts  of  the  earth.  He 
imagined  this  apex  to  be  situated  about  the  equinoctial 
line,  in  the  interior  of  this  vast  continent,  which  he  con 
sidered  the  extremity  of  the  East  ;  that  on  this  summit, 
as  it  were,  of  the  earth  was  situated  the  terrestrial  para 
dise  ;  and  that  the  vast  stream  of  fresh  water  which 
poured  into  the  Gulf  of  Paria  issued  from  the  fountain  of 
the  tree  of  life,  in  the  midst  of  the  Garden  of  Eden.  Ex 
travagant  as  this  speculation  may  seem  at  the  present 
day,  it  was  grounded  on  the  writings  of  the  most  sage 
and  learned  men  of  those  times,  among  whom  the  situa 
tion  of  the  terrestrial  paradise  had  long  been  a  subject 
of  discussion  and  controversy,  and  by  several  of  whom  it 
was  supposed  to  be  on  a  vast  mountain,  in  the  remote 
parts  of  the  East. 

The  mind  of  Columbus  was  so  possessed  by  these  the 
ories,  and  he  was  so  encouraged  by  the  quantities  of 
pearls  which  he  had  met  with,  for  the  first  time  in  the 
New  World,  that  he  would  gladly  have  followed  up  his  dis 
covery,  not  doubting  but  that  the  country  would  increase 
in  the  value  of  its  productions  as  he  approached  the  equa- 


LEAVES    TRINIDAD.  22$ 

tor.  The  sea  stores  of  his  ships,  however,  were  almost 
exhausted,  and  the  various  supplies  with  which  they  were 
freighted  for  the  colony  were  in  danger  of  spoiling.  He 
was  suffering,  also,  extremely  in  his  health.  Besides  the 
gout,  which  had  rendered  him  a  cripple  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  voyage,  he  was  afflicted  by  a  complaint  in 
his  eyes,  caused  by  fatigue  and  over-watching,  which  al 
most  deprived  him  of  sight.  He  determined,  therefore, 
to  hasten  to  Hispaniola,  intending  to  repose  there  from 
his  fatigues,  and  recruit  his  health,  while  he  should  send 
his  brother,  the  adelantado,  to  complete  this  important 
discovery. 

On  the  I4th  of  August,  therefore,  he  left  the  gulf,  by  a 
narrow  strait  between  the  promontory  of  Paria  and  the 
Island  of  Trinidad.  This  strait  is  beset  with  small  islands, 
and  the  current  which  sets  through  the  gulf  is  so  com 
pressed  between  them  as  to  cause  a  turbulent  sea,  with 
great  foaming  and  roaring,  as  if  rushing  over  rocks  and 
shoals.  The  Admiral  conceived  himself  in  imminent  dan- 
ger  of  shipwreck  when  passing  through  this  strait,  and 
gave  it  the  name  of  La  Boca  del  Drago,  or  the  Mouth 
of  the  Dragon.  After  reconnoitring  the  coast  to  the 
westward,  as  far  as  the  islands  o/  Cubaga  and  Margarita, 
and  convincing  himself  of  its  being  a  continent,  he  bore 
away  for  Hispaniola,  for  the  river  Ozema,  where  he  ex 
pected  to  find  a  new  settlement,  which  he  had  instructed 
his  brother  to  form  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mines. 
He  was  borne  far  to  the  westward  by  the  currents,  but  at 
length  reached  his  desired  haven,  where  he  arrived,  hag 
gard,  emaciated,  and  almost  blind,  and  was  received  with 
open  arms  by  the  adelantado.  The  brothers  were  strong 
ly  attached  to  each  other ;  Don  Bartholomew  had  a  great 
deference  for  the  brilliant  genius,  the  enlarged  mind,  and 
the  commanding  reputation  of  his  brother ;  while  the  lat- 


224  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

ter  placed  great  reliance,  in  times  of  difficulty,  on  the 
worldly  knowledge,  the  indefatigable  activity,  and  the 
lion-hearted  courage  of  the  adelantado.  They  had  both, 
during  their  long  separation,  experienced  the  need  of 
each  other's  sympathy  and  support. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

ADMINISTRATION    OF   THE   ADELANTADO. 

COLUMBUS  had  anticipated  a  temporary  repose  from 
his  toils  on  arriving  at  Hispaniola;  but  a  new  scene  of 
trouble  and  anxiety  opened  upon  him,  which  was  des 
tined  to  affect  all  his  future  fortunes.  To  explain  this,  it 
is  necessary  to  state  the  occurrences  of  the  island  during 
his  long  detention  in  Spain. 

When  he  sailed  for  Europe  in  March,  1496,  his  brother, 
Don  Bartholomew,  immediately  proceeded  to  execute 
his  instructions  with  respect  to  the  gold  mines  of  Hayna. 
He  built  a  fortress  in  the  neighborhood,  which  he  named 
San  Christoval,  and  another  fortress  not  far  off,  on  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  Ozema,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  village 
inhabited  by  the  female  cacique  who  had  first  given  in 
telligence  of  the  mines  to  Miguel  Diaz.  This  fortress  was 
called  San  Domingo,  and  was  the  origin  of  the  city  which 
still  bears  that  name. 

Having  garrisoned  these  fortresses,  and  made  arrange 
ments  for  working  the  mines,  the  indefatigable  adelan 
tado  set  out  to  visit  the  dominions  of  Behechio,  which 
had  not  as  yet  been  reduced  to  obedience.  This  cacique, 
as  has  been  mentioned,  reigned  over  Xaragua,  a  province 
comprising  almost  the  whole  of  the  west  end  of  the 


226  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

island,  including  Cape  Tiburon.  It  was  one  of  the  most 
populous  and  fertile  districts.  The  inhabitants  were 
finely  formed,  had  a  noble  air,  a  more  agreeable  elocu 
tion,  and  more  soft  and  graceful  manners  than  the  natives 
of  the  other  part  of  the  island.  The  Indians  of  Hayti 
generally  placed  their  elysium,  or  paradise  of  happy 
spirits,  in  the  delightful  valleys  that  bordered  the  great 
lake  of  Xaragua. 

With  Behechio  resided  his  sister  Anacaona,  wife  of 
the  late  formidable  Caonabo,  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
females  in  the  island,  of  great  natural  grace  and  dignity, 
and  superior  intelligence;  her  name  in  the  Indian  lan 
guage  signified  Golden  Flower.  She  had  taken  refuge 
with  her  brother,  after  the  capture  and  ruin  of  her  hus 
band,  but  appears  never  to  have  entertained  any  vin 
dictive  feelings  against  the  Spaniards,  whom  she  regarded 
with  great  admiration  as  almost  superhuman  beings.  On 
the  contrary,  she  counselled  her  brother,  over  whom  she 
had  great  influence,  to  take  warning  by  the  fate  of  her 
husband,  and  to  conciliate  tneir  friendship. 

Don  Bartholomew  entered  the  province  of  Xaragua  at 
the  head  of  an  armed  band,  putting  his  cavalry  in  the 
advance,  and  marching  with  banners  displayed,  and  the 
sound  of  drum  and  trumpet.  Behechio  met  him  with  a 
numerous  force,  but  being  assured  that  he  came  merely 
on  a  friendly  visit,  he  dismissed  his  army,  and  conducted 
the  adelantado  to  his  residence  in  a  large  town,  near  the 
deep  bay  called  at  present  the  Bight  of  Leagon. 

As  they  approached,  thirty  young  females  of  the  ca 
cique's  household,  beautifully  formed,  came  forth  to  meet 
them,  waving  palm  branches,  and  dancing,  and  singing 
their  areytos  or  traditionary  ballads.  When  they  came 
before  Don  Bartholomew  they  knelt  and  laid  their  palm 
branches  at  his  feet.  After  these  came  the  beautiful 


DON  BARTHOLOMEW  IN  XARAGUA. 

Anacaona,  reclining  on  a  litter,  borne  by  six  Indians. 
She  was  lightly  clad  in  a  robe  of  various  colored  cotton, 
with  a  fragrant  garland  of  red  and  white  flowers  round 
her  head,  and  wreaths  of  the  same  round  her  neck  and 
arms.  She  received  the  adelantado  with  that  natural 
grace  and  courtesy  for  which  she  was  celebrated. 

For  several  days  Don  Bartholomew  remained  in  Xara- 
gua,  entertained  by  the  cacique  and  his  sister  with  ban 
quets,  national  games  and  dances,  and  other  festivities ; 
then,  having  arranged  for  a  periodical  tribute  to  be  paid 
in  cotton,  hemp,  and  cassava  bread,  the  productions  of 
the  surrounding  country,  he  took  a  friendly  leave  of  his 
hospitable  entertainers,  and  set  out  with  his  little  army 
for  Isabella. 

He  found  the  settlement  in  a  sickly  state,  and  suffering 
from  a  scarcity  of  provisions  ;  he  distributed,  therefore, 
all  that  were  too  feeble  to  labor  or  bear  arms  into  the 
interior,  where  they  might  have  better  air  and  more  abun 
dant  food  ;  and  at  the  same  time  he  established  a  chain 
of  fortresses  between  Isabella  and  San  Domingo.  Insur 
rections  broke  out  among  the  natives  of  the  vega,  caused 
by  their  impatience  of  tribute,  by  the  outrages  of  some 
of  the  Spaniards,  and  by  a  severe  punishment  inflicted  on 
certain  Indians  for  the  alleged  violation  of  a  chapel. 
Guarionex,  a  man  naturally  moderate  and  pacific,  was 
persuaded  by  his  brother  caciques  to  take  up  arms,  and  a 
combination  was  formed  among  them  to  rise  suddenly 
upon  the  Spaniards,  massacre  them,  and  destroy  Fort 
Conception,  which  was  situated  in  the  vega.  By  some 
means  the  garrison  received  intimation  of  the  conspiracy. 
They  immediately  wrote  a  letter  to  the  adelantado,  im 
ploring  prompt  assistance.  How  to  convey  the  letter  in 
safety  was  an  anxious  question,  for  the  natives  had  dis 
covered  that  these  letters  had  a  wonderful  power  of  com- 


228  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

municating  intelligence,  and  fancied  that  they  could  talk. 
An  Indian  undertook  to  be  the  bearer  of  it.  He  inclosed 
it  in  a  staff,  and  set  out  on  his  journey.  Being  inter 
cepted,  he  pretended  to  be  dumb  and  lame,  leaning  upon 
his  staff  for  support.  He  was  suffered  to  depart,  and 
limped  forward  until  out  of  sight,  when  he  resumed  his 
speed,  and  bore  the  letter  safely  and  expeditiously  to 
San  Domingo. 

The  adelantado,  with  his  accustomed  promptness,  set 
out  with  a  body  of  troops  for  the  fortress.  By  a  rapid 
and  well-concerted  stratagem  he  surprised  the  leaders  in 
the  night,  in  a  village  in  which  they  were  sleeping,  and 
carried  them  all  off  captive,  seizing  upon  Guarionex  with 
his  own  hand.  He  completed  his  enterprise  with  spirit, 
sagacity,  and  moderation.  Informing  himself  of  the  par 
ticulars  of  the  conspiracy,  he  punished  two  caciques,  the 
principal  movers  of  it,  with  death,  and  pardoned  all  the 
rest.  Finding,  moreover,  that  Guarionex  had  been  chiefly 
incited  to  hostility  by  an  outrage  committed  by  a  Span 
iard  on  his  favorite  wife,  he  inflicted  punishment  on  the 
offender.  The  heart  of  Guarionex  was  subdued  by  the 
unexpected  clemency  of  the  adelantado,  and  he  made  a 
speech  to  his  subjects  in  praise  of  the  Spaniards.  They 
listened  to  him  with  attention,  and  when  he  had  con 
cluded,  bore  him  off  on  their  shoulders  with  songs  and 
shouts  of  joy,  and  for  some  time  the  tranquillity  of  the 
vega  was  restored. 

About  this  time,  receiving  information  from  Behechio, 
cacique  of  Xaragua,  that  his  tribute  in  cotton  and  pro 
visions  was  ready  for  delivery,  the  adelantado  marched 
there,  at  the  head  of  his  forces,  to  receive  it.  So  large  a 
quantity  of  cotton  and  cassava  bread  was  collected  to 
gether  that  Don  Bartholomew  had  to  send  to  the  settle 
ment  of  Isabella  for  a  caravel  to  be  freighted  with  it.  In 


KINDNESS   OF   THE   NA  TIVES. 


229 


the  meantime,  the  utmost  kindness  was  lavished  upon 
their  guests  by  these  gentle  and  generous  people.  The 
troubles  which  distracted  the  other  parts  of  devoted  Hay- 
ti  had  not  yet  reached  this  pleasant  region  ;  and  when 
the  Spaniards  regarded  the  fertility  and  sweetness  of 
the  country,  bordering  on  a  tranquil  sea,  the  kindness 


NATIVES  BRINGING  WOOD   AND   WATER   TO   A   CARAVEL. 
Redrawn  from   Gottfried? 's  "  Newe  Welt." 

of  the  inhabitants,  and  the    beauty  of  the  women,  they 
pronounced  it  a  perfect  paradise. 

When  the  caravel  arrived  on  the  coast,  it  was  regarded 
by  Anacaona  and  her  brother  with  awe  and  wonder. 
Behechio  visited  it  with  his  canoes;  but  his  sister,  with 
her  female  attendants,  were  conveyed  on  board  in  the 
boat  of  the  adelantado.  As  they  approached,  the  cara- 


230  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

vel  fired  a  salute.  At  the  sound  of  the  cannon,  and  the 
sight  of  volumes  of  smoke  bursting  from  the  side  of  the 
ship  and  rolling  along  the  sea,  Anacaona,  overcome  with 
dismay,  fell  into  the  arms  of  the  adelantado,  and  her 
attendants  would  have  leaped  overboard,  but  were  reas 
sured  by  the  cheerful  words  of  Don  Bartholomew.  As 
they  drew  nearer  the  vessel  several  instruments  of  mar 
tial  music  struck  up,  with  which  they  were  greatly  de 
lighted.  Their  admiration  increased  on  entering  on 
board  ;  but  when  the  anchor  was  weighed,  the  sails  filled 
by  a  gentle  breeze,  and  they  beheld  this  vast  mass  veer 
ing  from  side  to  side,  apparently  by  its  own  will,  and 
playing  like  a  huge  monster  on  the  deep,  the  brother  and 
sister  remained  gazing  at  each  other  in  mute  astonish 
ment.  Nothing  seems  ever  to  have  filled  the  mind  of  the 
savage  with  more  wonder  than  that  beautiful  triumph  of 
human  ingenuity — a  ship  under  sail. 

While  the  adelantado  was  thus  absent  quelling  insur 
rections  and  making  skilful  arrangements  for  the  pros 
perity  of  the  colony  and  the  advantage  of  the  Crown,  new 
mischiefs  were  fermenting  in  the  factious  settlement  of 
Isabella.  The  prime  mover  was  Francisco  Roldan,  a 
man  who  had  been  raised  by  Columbus  from  poverty  and 
obscurity,  and  promoted  from  one  office  to  another,  until 
he  had  appointed  him  alcalde  mayor,  or  chief  judge  of 
the  island.  He  was  an  uneducated  man,  but  of  strong 
natural  talents,  great  assiduity,  and  intrepid  impudence. 
He  had  seen  his  benefactor  return  to  Spain  apparently 
under  a  cloud  of  disgrace,  and,  considering  him  a  fallen 
man,  began  to  devise  how  he  might  profit  by  his  down 
fall.  He  was  intrusted  with  an  office  inferior  only  to  that 
of  the  adelantado;  the  brothers  of  Columbus  were  highly 
unpopular;  he  imagined  it  possible  to  ruin  them,  both 
with  the  colonists  and  with  the  government  at  home,  and 


SEDITIONS  AND  ACT  OF  ROLDAN.  231 

by  dexterous  management  to  work  his  way  into  a  com 
mand  of  the  colony.  For  this  purpose  he  mingled  among 
the  common  people,  threw  out  suggestions  that  the 
Admiral  was  in  disgrace,  and  would  never  return  ;  railed 
at  the  adelantado  and  Don  Diego  as  foreigners,  who  took 
no  interest  in  their  welfare,  but  used  them  merely  as 
slaves  to  build  houses  and  fortresses  for  them,  or  to  swell 
their  state  and  secure  their  power,  as  they  marched 
about  the  island,  enriching  themselves  with  the  spoils  of 
the  caciques.  By  these  seditious  insinuations  he  ex 
asperated  their  feelings  to  such  a  degree  that  they  at  one 
time  formed  a  conspiracy  to  assassinate  the  adelantado, 
but  it  was  happily  disconcerted,  by  accident. 

When  the  caravel  returned  from  Xaragua,  laden  with 
provisions,  it  was  dismantled  by  order  of  Don  Diego,  and 
drawn  upon  the  beach.  Roldan  immediately  seized 
upon  this  circumstance  to  awaken  new  suspicions.  He 
said  the  true  reason  for  dismantling  the  caravel  was  to 
prevent  any  of  the  colonists  returning  in  it  to  Spain,  to 
represent  the  oppressions  under  which  they  suffered.  He 
advised  them  to  launch  and  take  possession  of  the  vessel, 
as  the  only  means  of  regaining  their  independence.  They 
might  then  throw  off  the  tyranny  of  these  upstart  for 
eigners,  and  might  lead  a  life  of  ease  and  quiet,  employ 
ing  the  Indians  as  slaves,  and  enjoying  unlimited  indul 
gence  with  respect  to  the  Indian  women. 

Don  Diego  was  informed  of  these  seditious  movements, 
but  he  was  of  a  mild,  pacific  nature,  and  deficient  in 
energy.  Fearing  to  come  to  an  open  rupture  in  the 
mutinous  state  of  the  colony,  he  thought  to  divert  Rol 
dan  from  his  schemes  by  giving  him  distant  and  active 
employment.  He  detached  him  suddenly,  therefore, 
with  a  small  force,  to  overawe  the  Indians  of  the  vega, 
who  had  shown  a  disposition  to  revolt.  Roldan  made 


232  THE   LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

use  of  this  opportunity  to  organize  an  armed  faction. 
He  soon  got  seventy  well-armed  and  resolute  men  at  his 
command,  disposed  to  go  all  desperate  lengths  with  him, 
and  he  made  friends  and  partisans  among  the  discon 
tented  caciques,  promising  to  free  them  from  tribute. 
He  now  threw  off  the  mask,  and  openly  set  the  adelan- 
tado  and  his  brother  at  defiance,  as  men  who  had  no 
authority  from  the  Crown,  but  were  appointed  by  Colum 
bus,  who  was  himself  in  disgrace.  He  pretended  always 
to  act  in  his  official  capacity,  and  to  do  everything  from 
loyal  motives,  and  every  act  of  open  rebellion  was  accom 
panied  with  shouts  of  "Long  live  the  king!"  Having 
endeavored  repeatedly  to  launch  the  caravel,  but  in  vain, 
he  broke  open  the  royal  stores,  and  supplied  his  followers 
with  arms,  clothing,  and  provisions,  and  then  marched  off 
to  the  vega,  and  attempted  to  surprise  and  get  possession 
of  Fort  Conception,  but  was  happily  foiled  by  its  com 
mander,  Miguel  Ballester,  a  stanch  old  soldier,  both  res 
olute  and  wary,  who  kept  the  enemy  at  bay  until  succor 
should  arrive. 

The  conspiracy  had  attained  a  formidable  head  during 
the  absence  of  the  adelantado,  several  persons  of  conse 
quence  having  joined  it,  among  whom  was  Adrian  de 
Moxica  and  Diego  de  Escobar,  the  latter  being  alcalde 
of  the  fortress  of  La  Madalena.  Don  Bartholomew  was 
perplexed  at  first,  and  could  not  act  with  his  usual  vigor 
and  decision,  not  knowing  in  whom  he  could  confide,  or 
how  far  the  conspiracy  had  extended.  On  receiving  tid 
ings,  however,  from  Miguel  Ballester,  of  the  danger  of 
Fort  Conception,  he  threw  himself,  with  what  forces  he 
could  collect,  into  that  fortress,  and  held  a  parley  with 
Roldan  from  one  of  the  windows,  ordering  him  to  surren 
der  his  staff  of  office  as  alcalde  mayor  and  submit  peacea 
bly  to  superior  authority.  All  threats  and  remonstrances, 


REBELLION  OF  ROLDAN.  233 

however,  were  vain  ;  Roldan  persisted  in  his  rebellion. 
He  represented  the  adelantado  as  the  tyrant  of  the  Span 
iards,  the  oppressor  of  the  Indians  ;  and  himself  as  the 
redresser  of  wrongs  and  champion  of  the  injured.  HL 
sought,  by  crafty  emissaries,  to  corrupt  the  garrison  of 
Fort  Conception  and  seduce  them  to  desert,  and  laid 
plans  to  surprise  and  seize  upon  the  adelantado,  should 
he  leave  the  fortress. 

The  affairs  of  the  island  were  now  in  a  lamentable  sit 
uation.  The  Indians,  perceiving  the  dissensions  among 
the  Spaniards,  and  encouraged  by  the  protection  of  Rol 
dan,  ceased  to  send  in  their  tributes,  and  threw  off  alle 
giance  to  the  government.  Roldan's  band  daily  gained 
strength,  and  ranged  insolently  and  at  large  about  the 
country ;  while  the  Spaniards  who  remained  loyal,  fearing 
conspiracies  among  the  natives,  had  to  keep  under  shel 
ter  of  the  forts.  Munitions  of  all  kinds  were  rapidly 
wasting,  and  the  spirits  of  the  well-affected  were  sink 
ing  into  despondency.  The  adelantado  himself  remained 
shut  up  in  Fort  Conception,  doubtful  of  the  fidelity  of  his 
own  garrison,  and  secretly  informed  of  the  plots  to  cap 
ture  or  destroy  him,  should  he  venture  abroad.  Such  was 
the  desperate  state  to  which  the  colony  was  reduced  by 
the  long  detention  of  Columbus  in  Spain,  and  the  impedi 
ments  thrown  in  the  way  of  all  his  endeavors  to  send  out 
supplies  and  re-inforcements.  Fortunately,  at  this  criti 
cal  juncture  the  arrival  of  two  ships,  under  command  of 
Pedro  Hernandez  Coronal,  at  the  port  of  San  Domingo, 
with  troops  and  provisions,  strengthened  the  hands  of 
Don  Bartholomew.  The  royal  confirmation  of  his  title 
and  authority  of  adelantado  at  once  put  an  end  to  all 
question  of  the  legitimacy  of  his  power,  and  secured  the 
fidelity  of  his  soldiers;  and  the  tidings  that  the  Admiral 
was  in  high  favor  at  court,  and  on  the  point  of  coming 


234  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

out  with  a  powerful  squadron,  struck  consternation  into 
the  rebels,  who  had  presumed  upon  his  having  fallen 
into  disgrace. 

The  adelantado  immediately  hastened  to  San  Domingo, 
nor  was  there  any  attempt  made  to  molest  him  on  his 
march.  When  he  found  himself  once  more  secure,  his 
magnanimity  prevailed  over  his  indignation,  and  he  sent 
Pedro  Hernandez  Coronal,  to  offer  Roldan  and  his  band 
amnesty  for  all  offences,  on  condition  of  instant  obedi 
ence.  Roldan  feared  to  venture  into  his  power,  and  de 
termined  to  prevent  the  emissary  from  communicating 
with  his  followers,  lest  they  should  be  induced  to  return 
to  their  allegiance.  When  Coronal  approached  the  en 
campment  of  the  rebels,  therefore,  he  was  opposed  in  a 
narrow  pass  by  a  body  of  archers  with  their  crossbows 
levelled.  "  Halt  there,  traitor!"  cried  Roldan;  "had 
you  arrived  eight  days  later,  we  should  all  have  been 
united." 

It  was  in  vain  that  Coronal  endeavored  to  win  this 
turbulent  man  from  his  career.  He  professed  to  oppose 
only  the  tyranny  and  misrule  of  the  adelantado,  but  to 
be  ready  to  submit  to  the  Admiral  on  his  arrival,  and 
he  and  his  principal  confederates  wrote  letters  to  that 
effect  to  their  friends  in  San  Domingo. 

When  Coronal  returned  with  accounts  of  Roldan's  con 
tumacy,  the  adelantado  proclaimed  him  and  his  followers 
traitors.  That  shrewd  rebel,  however,  did  not  suffer  his 
men  to  remain  within  the  reach  either  of  promise  or 
menace.  He  proposed  to  them  to  march  off  and  estab 
lish  themselves  in  the  remote  province  of  Xaragua.  The 
Spaniards  who  had  been  there  had  given  the  most  allur 
ing  accounts  of  the  country  and  its  inhabitants,  and 
above  all  of  the  beauty  of  the  women,  for  they  had  been 
captivated  by  the  naked  charms  of  the  dancing  nymphs 


INSURRECTION   OF    THE  NATIVES.  235 

of  Xaragua.  In  this  delightful  region,  emancipated  from 
the  iron  rule  of  the  adelantado,  and  relieved  from  the 
necessity  of  irksome  labor,  they  might  lead  a  life  of  per 
fect  freedom  and  indulgence,  with  a  world  of  beauty  at 
their  command.  In  short,  Roldan  drew  a  picture  of 
loose,  sensual  enjoyment,  such  as  he  knev/  to  be  irre 
sistible  with  men  of  idle  and  dissolute  habits.  His 
followers  acceded  with  joy  to  his  proposition  ;  so,  putting 
himself  at  their  head,  he  marched  away  for  Xaragua. 

Scarcely  had  the  rebels  departed  when  fresh  insurrec 
tions  broke  out  among  the  Indians  of  the  vega.  The 
cacique  Guarionex,  moved  by  the  instigations  of  Roldan, 
and  forgetful  of  his  gratitude  to  Don  Bartholomew, 
entered  into  a  new  league  to  destroy  the  Spaniards  and 
surprise  Fort  Conception.  The  plot  exploded  before  its 
time,  and  was  defeated  ;  and  Guarionex,  hearing  that  the 
adelantado  was  on  the  march  for  the  vega,  fled  to  the 
mountains  of  Ciguay,  with  his  family,  and  a  small  band 
of  faithful  followers.  The  inhabitants  of  these  mountains 
were  the  most  robust  and  hardy  tribe  of  the  island,  and 
the  same  who  had  skirmished  with  the  Spaniards  in  the 
Gulf  of  Samana,  in  the  course  of  the  first  voyage  of 
Columbus.  The  reader  may  remember  the  frank  and 
confiding  faith  with  which  their  cacique  trusted  himself 
on  board  of  the  caravel  of  the  Admiral,  the  day  after  the 
skirmish.  It  was  to  this  same  cacique,  named  Mayona- 
bex,  that  the  fugitive  chieftain  of  the  vega  applied  for 
refuge,  and  he  received  a  promise  of  protection. 

Indignant  at  finding  his  former  clemency  of  no  avail, 
the  adelantado  pursued  Guarionex  to  the  mountains,  at 
the  head  of  ninety  men,  a  few  cavalry,  and  a  body  of 
Indians.  It  was  a  rugged  and  difficult  enterprise ;  the 
troops  had  to  climb  rocks,  wade  rivers,  and  make  their 
way  through  tangled  forests,  almost  impervious  to  men 


236  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

in  armor,  encumbered  with  targets,  crossbows,  and  lances. 
They  were  continually  exposed,  also,  to  the  ambushes  of 
the  Indians,  who  would  rush  forth  with  furious  yells,  dis 
charge  their  weapons,  and  then  take  refuge  again  among 
rocks  and  thickets,  where  it  was  in  vain  to  follow  them. 
Don  Bartholomew  arrived,  at  length,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Cape  Cabron,  the  residence  of  Mayonabcx,  and  sent 
a  messenger,  demanding  the  surrender  of  Guarionex, 
promising  friendship  in  case  of  compliance,  but  threaten 
ing  to  lay  waste  his  territory  with  fire  and  sword,  in  case 
of  refusal.  "  Tell  the  Spaniards,"  said  the  cacique,  in 
reply,  "  that  they  are  tyrants,  usurpers,  and  shedders  of 
innocent  blood,  and  I  desire  not  their  friendship.  Guario 
nex  is  a  good  man,  and  my  friend.  He  has  fled  to  me 
for  refuge ;  I  have  promised  him  protection,  and  I  will 
keep  my  word." 

The  cacique,  in  fact,  adhered  to  his  promise  with  ad 
mirable  faith.  His  villages  were  burnt,  his  territories 
were  ravaged,  himself  and  his  family  driven  to  dens  and 
caves  of  the  mountains,  and  his  subjects  assailed  him 
with  clamors,  urging  him  to  give  up  the  fugitive,  who 
was  bringing  such  ruin  upon  their  tribe.  It  was  alt  in 
vain.  He  was  ready,  he  declared,  to  abide  all  evils, 
rather  than  it  should  ever  be  said  Mayonabex  betrayed 
his  guest. 

For  three  months  the  adelantado  hunted  these  caciques 
among  the  mountains,  during  which  time  he  and  his  sol 
diers  were  almost  worn  out  with  toil  and  hunger,  and 
exposures  of  all  kind.  The  retreat  of  Mayonabex  was  at 
length  discovered.  Twelve  Spaniards,  disguising  them 
selves  as  Indians,  and  wrapping  their  swords  in  palm 
leaves,  came  upon  him  secretly,  and  surprised  and 
captured  him,  with  his  wife  and  children  and  a  few  at 
tendants.  The  adelantado  returned,  with  his  prisoners, 


w  s 

I  S 

d  ; 

^!  -Si 


t 


238  THE  LIFE   OF   COLUMBUS. 

to  Fort  Conception,  where  he  afterwards  released  them 
all,  excepting  the  cacique,  whom  he  detained  as  a  host 
age  for  the  submission  of  his  tribe.  The  unfortunate 
Guarionex  still  lurked  among  the  caverns  of  the  moun 
tains,  but  was  driven  by  hunger  to  venture  down  occa 
sionally  into  the  plain,  in  quest  of  food.  His  haunts  were 
discovered,  he  was  waylaid  and  captured  by  a  party  of 
Spaniards,  and  brought  in  chains  to  Fort  Conception. 
After  his  repeated  insurrections,  and  the  extraordinary 
zeal  displayed  in  his  pursuit,  he  anticipated  death  from 
the  vengeance  of  the  adelantaclo.  Don  Bartholomew, 
however,  though  stern  in  his  policy,  was  neither  vindic 
tive  nor  cruel  ;  he  contented  himself  with  detaining  him 
a  prisoner,  to  insure  the  tranquillity  of  the  vega  ;  and  then 
returned  to  San  Domingo,  where,  shortly  afterwards,  he 
had  the  happiness  of  welcoming  the  arrival  of  his  brother, 
the  Admiral,  after  a  separation  of  nearly  two  years  and 
a  half. 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

REBELLION     OF    ROLDAN.      [1498.] 

ONE  of  the  first  measures  of  Columbus,  on  his  arrival, 
was  to  issue  a  proclamation,  approving  of  all  that  the 
adelantado  had  done,  and  denouncing  Roldan  and  his 
associates.  That  turbulent  man  had  proceeded  to  Xara- 
gua,  where  he  had  been  kindly  received  by  the  natives. 
A  circumstance  occurred  to  add  to  his  party  and  his  re 
sources.  The  three  caravels  detached  by  Columbus  from 
the  Canary  Islands,  and  freighted  with  supplies,  having 
been  carried  far  west  of  their  reckoning  by  the  currents, 
arrived  on  the  coast  of  Xaragua.  The  rebels  were  at  first 


y  CRAFTINESS  OF   ROLDAN.  239 

alarmed  lest  there  should  be  vessels  dispatched  in  pursuit 
of  them.  Roldan,  who  was  as  sagacious  as  he  was  bold, 
soon  divined  the  truth.  Enjoining  the  utmost  secrecy  on 
his  men,  he  went  on  board,  and  pretending  to  be  in  com 
mand  at  that  end  of  the  island,  succeeded  in  procuring  a 
supply  of  arms  and  military  stores,  and  in  making  parti 
sans  among  the  crews,  many  of  whom  were  criminals  and 
vagabonds  from  Spanish  prisons,  shipped  in  compliance 
with  the  Admiral's  ill-judged  proposition.  It  was  not 
until  the  third  day  that  Alonzo  Sanchez  de  Carvajal,  the 
most  intelligent  of  the  three  captains,  discovered  the  real 
character  of  the  guests  he  had  entertained,  but  the  mis 
chief  was  then  effected. 

As  the  ships  were  detained  by  contrary  winds,  it  was 
arranged  among  the  captains  that  a  large  number  of  the 
people  should  be  conducted  by  land  to  San  Domingo,  by 
Juan  Antonio  Colonbo,  captain  of  one  of  the  caravels, 
and  a  relation  of  the  Admiral.  He  accordingly  landed 
with  forty  men,  well  armed,  but  was  astonished  to  find 
himself  suddenly  deserted  by  all  his  party  excepting 
eight.  The  deserters  joined  the  rebels,  who  received 
them  with  shouts  of  exultation.  Juan  Antonio,  grieved 
and  disconcerted,  returned  on  board  with  the  few  who 
remained  faithful.  Fearing  further  desertions,  the  ships 
immediately  put  to  sea  ;  but  Carvajal,  giving  his  vessel  in 
charge  to  his  officers,  landed  and  remained  with  the  rebels, 
fancying  he  had  seen  signs  of  wavering  in  Roldan  and 
some  of  his  associates,  and  that,  by  earnest  persuasion, 
he  might  induce  them  to  return  to  their  allegiance.  The 
certainty  that  Columbus  was  actually  on  the  way  to  the 
island,  with  additional  forces  and  augmented  authority, 
had,  in  fact,  operated  strongly  on  their  minds ;  but  all 
attempts  to  produce  immediate  submission  were  in  vain. 
Roldan  promised  that  the  moment  he  heard  of  the 


240  THE   LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

arrival  of  Columbus  he  would  repair  to  the  neighborhood 
of  San  Domingo,  to  be  at  hand  to  state  his  grievances, 
and  to  enter  into  a  negotiation  for  the  adjustment  of  all 
differences.  He  wrote  a  letter  to  the  same  purport,  to  be 
delivered  to  the  Admiral.  With  this  Carvajal  departed, 
and  was  escorted  to  within  six  leagues  of  San  Domingo, 
by  six  of  the  rebels.  On  reaching  that  place  he  found 
Columbus  already  arrived,  and  delivered  to  him  the  letter 
of  Roldan,  expressing  at  the  same  time  an  opinion  that 
the  insurgents  might  easily  be  brought  to  their  allegiance 
by  an  assurance  of  amnesty.  In  fact,  the  rebels  soon  be 
gan  to  assemble  at  the  village  of  Bonao,  in  a  fine  valley  of 
the  same  name,  about  twenty  leagues  from  San  Domingo, 
and  ten  from  Fort  Conception.  Here  they  made  their 
headquarters,  at  the  house  of  Pedro  Reguelme,  one  of 
the  ringleaders. 

Columbus  immediately  wrote  to  Miguel  Ballester,  the 
commander  of  Fort  Conception,  advising  him  to  be  on  his 
guard.  He  empowered  him  to  have  an  interview  with 
Roldan,  to  offer  him  full  pardon  on  condition  of  his  im 
mediate  return  to  duty,  and  to  invite  him  to  repair  to  San 
Domingo  to  treat  with  the  Admiral,  under  a  solemn,  and, 
if  required,  a  written  assurance  of  personal  safety.  At 
the  same  time  he  issued  a  proclamation,  offering  free  pas 
sage  to  all  who  wished  to  return  to  Spain,  in  five  vessels 
about  to  be  put  to  sea,  hoping,  by  this  means,  to  relieve 
the  colony  from  all  the  idle  and  disaffected. 

Ballester  was  an  old  and  venerable  man,  grayheaded, 
and  of  a  soldier-like  demeanor  ;  he  was  loyal,  frank,  and 
virtuous,  of  a  serious  disposition  and  great  simplicity  of 
heart.  His  appearance  and  character  commanded  the 
respect  of  the  rebels;  but  they  treated  the  proffered  par 
don  with  contempt,  made  many  demands  of  an  arrogant 
nature,  and  declared  that  in  all  further  negotiations  they 


TREATS    WITH  ROLDAN.  24! 

would  treat  with  no  mediator  but  Carvajal,  having  had 
proofs  of  his  fairness  and  impartiality  in  the  course  of 
their  late  communications  with  him  at  Xaragua. 

This  insolent  reply  was  totally  different  from  what  the 
Admiral  had  been  taught  to  expect.  He  now  ordered  the 
men  of  San  Domingo  to  appear  under  arms,  that  he  might 
ascertain  the  force  with  which  he  could  take  the  field  in 
case  of  necessity.  A  report  was  immediately  circulated 
that  they  were  to  be  led  to  Bonao,  against  the  rebels ; 
some  of  the  inhabitants  had  relations,  others  friends, 
among  the  followers  of  Roldan ;  almost  all  were  disaf 
fected  to  the  service  ;  not  above  seventy  men  appeared 
under  arms ;  one  affected  to  be  ill,  another  lame ;  there 
were  not  forty  to  be  relied  upon. 

Columbus  saw  that  a  resort  to  arms  would  only  serve 
to  betray  his  own  weakness  and  the  power  of  the  rebels. 
It  was  necessary  to  temporize,  therefore,  however  humili 
ating  such  conduct  might  be  deemed.  His  first  care  was 
to  dispatch  the  five  ships,  which  he  had  detained  in  port 
until  he  should  receive  the  reply  of  Roldan.  He  was 
anxious  that  as  many  as  possible  of  the  discontented  col 
onists  should  sail  for  Spain,  before  any  commotion  should 
take  place.  He  wrote  to  the  sovereigns  an  account  of 
his  late  voyage,  giving  an  enthusiastic  description  of  the 
newly  discovered  continent,  accompanied  by  a  chart  of 
the  coast,  and  specimens  of  the  pearls  which  he  had  pro 
cured  from  the  natives. 

He  informed  the  sovereigns,  also,  of  the  rebellion  of 
Roldan,  and  as  the  latter  pretended  it  was  only  a  quarrel 
between  him  and  the  adelantado,  he  begged  the  matter 
might  be  investigated  by  their  majesties,  or  by  persons 
friendly  to  both  parties.  Among  other  judicious  requests, 
he  entreated  that  a  man  learned  and  experienced  in  the 
law  might  be  sent  out  to  officiate  as  judge  over  the  island. 
(16) 


242  THE    LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

By  this  opportunity  Roldan  and  his  friends  likewise 
sent  letters  to  Spain,  endeavoring  to  justify  their  rebel 
lion,  by  charging  Columbus  and  his  brothers  with  oppres 
sion  and  injustice,  and  painting  their  whole  conduct  in 
the  blackest  colors.  It  would  naturally  be  supposed 
that  the  representations  of  such  men  would  have  little 
weight  in  the  balance  against  the  tried  merits  and  exalted 
services  of  Columbus  ;  but  they  had  numerous  friends  and 
relations  in  Spain  to  back  them  ;  Columbus  was  a  for 
eigner,  without  influence  in  the  court,  and  with  active 
enemies  near  the  sovereigns,  ever  ready  to  place  his  con 
duct  in  an  unfavorable  light. 

The  ships  being  dispatched,  the  Admiral  resumed  his 
negotiation  with  the  rebels.  As  the  burden  of  their 
complaint  was  the  strict  rule  of  his  brother,  who  was 
accused  of  dealing  out  justice  with  a  rigorous  hand,  he 
resolved  to  try  the  alternative  of  extreme  lenity,  and 
wrote  a  letter  to  Roldan,  calling  to  mind  past  kind 
nesses,  and  entreating  him,  for  the  sake  of  his  own 
reputation,  which  stood  well  with  the  sovereign,  not  to 
persist  in  his  present  insubordination.  He  again  repeat 
ed  his  assurance  that  he  and  his  companions  might  come 
to  treat  with  him  at  San  Domingo,  under  the  faith  of 
his  word  for  the  inviolability  of  their  persons. 

There  was  a  difficulty  as  to  who  should  be  the  bearer 
of  this  letter.  The  rebels  had  declared  that  they  would 
receive  no  mediator  but  Alonzo  Sanchez  de  Carvajal. 
Strong  suspicions  existed  in  the  minds  of  many  as  to  the 
integrity  of  that  officer,  from  his  transactions  with  the 
rebels  at  Xaragua,  and  his  standing  so  high  in  their  favor. 
Columbus,  however,  discarded  all  those  suspicions,  and 
confided  implicitly  in  Carvajal,  nor  had  he  ever  any  cause 
to  repent  of  his  confidence. 

A  painful  and  humiliating  negotiation  was  now  carried 


NEGOTIATION    WITH  ROLDAN.  24$ 

on  for  several  days,  in  the  course  of  which  Roldan  had 
an  interview  with  Columbus  at  San  Domingo,  and  several 
letters  passed  between  them.  The  rebels  felt  their  power, 
and  presumed,  in  consequence,  to  demand  the  most  ex 
travagant  concessions.  Miguel  Ballester  wrote  at  the 
same  time  to  the  Admiral,  advising  him  to  agree  to  what 
ever  they  might  demand.  He  represented  their  forces 
as  continually  augmenting,  and  that  the  soldiers  of  his 
garrison  were  daily  deserting  to  them,  and  gave  it  as 
his  opinion  that  unless  some  compromise  were  speedily 
effected,  and  the  rebels  shipped  off  for  Spain,  not  merely 
the  authority,  but  even  the  person  of  the  Admiral  would 
be  in  danger ;  for  though  the  hidalgoes  and  the  immediate 
officers  and  servants  about  him  would  doubtless  die  in 
his  service,  yet  he  feared  that  the  common  people  were 
but  little  to  be  depended  upon. 

Thus  urged  by  veteran  counsel,  and  compelled  by  cir 
cumstances,  Columbus  at  length  made  an  arrangement 
with  the  rebels,  by  which  it  was  agreed  that  Roldan  and 
his  followers  should  embark  for  Spain,  from  the  port  of 
Xaragua,  in  two  ships,  which  should  be  fitted  out  and 
victualled  within  fifty  days.  That  they  should  each  re 
ceive  from  the  Admiral  a  certificate  of  good  conduct,  and 
an  order  for  the  amount  of  their  pay  up  to  the  actual 
date.  That  slaves  should  be  given  them,  as  had  been 
given  to  colonists,  in  consideration  of  services  performed  ; 
and  that  such  as  had  wives,  natives  of  the  island,  might 
take  them  with  them  in  place  of  slaves.  That  satisfac 
tion  should  be  made  for  property  of  some  of  the  com 
pany,  which  had  been  sequestrated,  and  for  live  stock 
which  had  belonged  to  Francis  Roldan. 

It  was  a  grievous  circumstance  to  Columbus,  that  the 
vessels  which  should  have  borne  his  brother  to  explore 
the  newly  discovered  continent  had  to  be  devoted  to  the 


244  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

transportation  of  this  turbulent  and  worthless  rabble  ;  but 
he  consoled  himself  with  the  idea  that,  the  faction  being 
once  shipped  off,  the  island  would  again  be  restored  to 
tranquillity.  The  articles  of  arrangement  being  signed, 
Roldan  and  his  followers  departed  for  Xaragua,  to  await 
the  arrival  of  the  ships ;  and  Columbus,  putting  his 
brother  Don  Diego  in  temporary  command,  set  off  with 
the  adelantado  on  a  tour  to  visit  the  various  fortresses, 
and  restore  everything  to  order. 

In  the  meanwhile,  unavoidable  delays  took  place  in 
fitting  out  the  ships,  and  they  encountered  violent  storms 
in  their  voyage  from  San  Domingo  to  Xaragua,  so  as  to 
arrive  there  long  after  the  stipulated  time,  and  that  in 
a  damaged  condition.  The  followers  of  Roldan  seized 
upon  this  as  a  pretext  to  refuse  to  embark,  affirming  that 
the  ships  had  been  purposely  delayed,  and  eventually  sent 
in  a  state  not  seaworthy,  and  short  of  provisions.  New 
negotiations  were  therefore  set  on  foot  and  new  terms 
demanded.  It  is  probable  that  Roldan  feared  to  return 
to  Spain,  and  his  followers  were  loth  to  give  up  their 
riotous  and  licentious  life.  In  the  midst  of  his  perplexi 
ties  Columbus  received  a  letter  from  Spain,  in  reply  to 
the  earnest  representations  which  he  had  made  of  the 
distracted  state  of  the  colony  and  of  the  outrages  of  these 
licentious  men.  It  was  written  by  his  invidious  enemy 
the  Bishop  Fonseca,  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs.  It 
informed  him  that  his  representations  of  the  alleged 
rebellion  had  been  received,  but  that  the  matter  must  be 
suffered  to  remain  in  suspense,  as  the  sovereigns  would 
investigate  and  remedy  it  presently. 

This  cold  reply  had  the  most  disheartening  effect  upon 
Columbus,  while  it  increased  the  insolence  of  the  rebels, 
who  saw  that  his  complaints  had  little  weight  with  the 
government.  Full  of  zeal,  however,  for  the  prosecution 


MEETING    WITH  R  OLD  AN.  24$ 

of  his  discoveries,  and  of  fidelity  to  the  interests  of  the 
Crown,  he  resolved,  at  any  sacrifice  of  pride  or  comfort, 
to  put  an  end  to  the  troubles  of  the  island.  He  departed, 
therefore,  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  with  two  caravels, 
to  the  port  of  Azna,  accompanied  by  several  of  the  most 
important  personages  of  the  colony,  to  give  Roldan  a 
meeting.  The  latter,  in  this  interview,  conducted  himself 
more  like  a  conqueror  exacting  terms  than  a  delinquent 
seeking  pardon.  Among  other  things,  he  demanded  that 
such  of  his  followers  as  chose  to  remain  on  the  island 
should  have  lands  assigned  them,  and  that  he  should  be 
reinstated  in  his  office  of  alcalde  mayor,  or  chief  judge. 
The  mind  grows  wearied  and  impatient  With  recording, 
and  the  heart  of  the  generous  reader  must  burn  with 
indignation  at  perusing,  this  protracted  and  ineffectual 
struggle  of  a  man  of  the  exalted  merits  and  matchless 
services  of  Columbus,  in  the  toils  of  such  contemptible 
miscreants.  Surrounded  by  doubt  and  danger,  a  foreigner 
among  a  jealous  people,  an  unpopular  commander  in  a 
mutinous  island,  distrusted  and  slighted  by  the  govern 
ment  he  was  seeking  to  serve,  and  creating  suspicions  by 
his  very  services,  he  knew  not  where  to  look  for  faith 
ful  advice,  efficient  aid,  or  candid  judgment.  He  was 
alarmed,  too,  by  symptoms  of  sedition  among  his  own 
people,  who  talked  of  following  the  example  of  the 
rebels,  and  seizing  upon  the  province  of  Higuey.  Thus 
critically  situated,  he  signed  a  humiliating  capitulation 
with  the  rebels,  trusting  he  should  afterwards  be  able  to 
convince  the  sovereigns  it  had  been  compulsory,  and 
forced  from  him  by  the  perils  that  threatened  himself 
and  the  colony. 

When  Roldan  resumed  his  office  of  alcalde  mayor,  he 
displayed  all  the  arrogance  to  be  expected  from  one  who 
had  intruded  himself  into  power  by  profligate  means. 


246  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

Columbus  had  a  difficult  and  painful  task  in  bearing  with 
the  insolence  of  this  man,  and  of  the  shameless  rabble 
that  returned,  under  his  auspices,  to  San  Domingo.  In 
compliance  with  the  terms  of  agreement  he  assigned  them 
liberal  portions  of  land  and  numerous  Indian  slaves,  taken 
in  the  wars,  and  contrived  to  distribute  them  in  various 
places,  some  in  Bonao,  others  in  different  parts  of  the 
vega.  He  made  an  arrangement,  also,  by  which  the  ca 
ciques  in  their  vicinity,  instead  of  paying  tribute,  should 
furnish  parties  of  their  subjects,  at  stated  times,  to  assist 
in  the  cultivation  of  their  lands;  a  kind  of  feudal  service 
which  was  the  origin  of  the  repartimientos,  or  distribu 
tions  of  free  Indians  among  the  colonists,  afterwards 
generally  adopted,  and  shamefully  abused  throughout  the 
Spanish  colonies,  and  which  greatly  contributed  to  ex 
terminate  the  natives  from  the  island  of  Hispaniola. 

Having  obtained  such  ample  provisions  for  his  follow 
ers,  Roldan  was  not  more  modest  in  making  demands  for 
himself.  Besides  certain  lands  in  the  vicinity  of  Isabella, 
which  he  claimed,  as  having  belonged  to  him  before  his 
rebellion,  he  received  a  royal  farm,  called  La  Esperanza, 
in  the  vega,  and  extensive  tracts  in  Xaragua,  with  live 
stock  and  repartimientos  of  Indians. 

One  of  the  first  measures  of  Roldan  as  alcalde  mayor 
was  to  appoint  Pedro  Reguelme,  one  of  his  most  active 
confederates,  alcalde  of  Bonao,  an  appointment  which 
gave  great  displeasure  to  Columbus,  being  an  assumption 
of  power  not  vested  in  the  office  of  Roldan.  The  Admi 
ral  received  private  information,  also,  that  Reguelme, 
under  pretext  of  erecting  a  farmhouse,  was  building  a 
strong  edifice  on  a  hill,  capable  of  being  converted  into  a 
fortress;  this,  it  was  whispered,  was  done  in  concert  with 
Roldan,  by  way  of  securing  a  stronghold  in  case  of  need. 
The  Admiral  immediately  sent  peremptory  orders  for 


DISORDER   OF   THE   COLONY.  247 

Reguelme  to  desist  from  proceeding  with  the  construc 
tion  of  the  edifice. 

Columbus  had  proposed  to  return  to  Spain,  having 
experienced  the  inefficiency  of  letters  in  explaining  the 
affairs  of  the  island  ;  but  the  feverish  state  of  the  colony 
obliged  him  to  give  up  the  intention.  The  two  caravels 
were  dispatched  in  October,  taking  such  of  the  colonists 
as  chose  to  return,  and  among  them  several  of  the  parti 
sans  of  Roldan,  some  of  whom  took  Indian  slaves  with 
them,  and  others  carried  away  the  daughters  of  caciques, 
whom  they  had  beguiled  from  their  homes  and  families. 

Columbus  wrote  by  this  opportunity  to  the  sovereigns, 
giving  it  as  his  opinion  that  the  agreement  he  had  made 
with  the  rebels  was  by  no  means  obligatory  on  the  Crown, 
having  been,  in  a  manner,  extorted  by  violence.  He  re 
peated  his  request  that  a  learned  man  might  be  sent  out 
as  judge,  and  desired,  moreover,  that  discreet  persons 
might  be  appointed  to  form  a  council,  and  others  for 
certain  fiscal  employments,  entreating,  however,  that  their 
powers  might  be  so  limited  and  defined  as  not  to  inter 
fere  with  his  dignities  and  privileges.  Finding  age  and 
infirmity  creeping  upon  him,  he  began  to  think  of  his  son 
Diego  as  an  active  coadjutor,  being  destined  to  succeed 
to  his  offices.  He  was  still  a  page  at  court,  but  grown  to 
man's  estate,  and  capable  of  entering  into  the  important 
concerns  of  life ;  he  begged,  therefore,  that  he  might  be 
sent  out  to  assist  him. 


The  portrait  of  Columbus  here  presented  is  from  a  picture  painted  by  Sir 
Antonio  or  Sir  Anthony  Moro  about  1542.  Tor  Margaret  of  Parma,  Governess 
of  the  Netherlands.  The  painting  was  brought  to  England  about  the  year 
1590,  and  had  been  in  the  possession  of  one  family  until  about  1848,  when 
it  was  purchased  by  a  Mr.  Cribb,  of  King  Street,  Covent  Garden,  London. 
Irving  had  an  opportunity  of  examining  the  portrait  during  his  sojourn  in 
London,  and  says  of  it  :  "  The  characteristics  of  the  mind  and  features  of  Co 
lumbus  are  so  forcibly  depicted  in  this  picture  that  no  doubt  can  remain  but 
that  it  is  a  true  and  perfect  resemblance  of  the  great  navigator.''  The  paint 
ing  was  purchased  by  Mr.  C.  F.  Gunther,  of  Chicago,  in  the  spring  of  1891. 

According  to  the  record  given  to  Mr.  Cribb,  Moro  had  based  the  portrait 
upon  two  miniatures  existing  in  the  royal  collection  in  the  palace  of  El 
Pardo,  near  Madrid,  which  miniatures  appear  to  have  perished  when  that 
palace  was  destroyed  by  fire.  The  year  1590,  in  which  the  picture  passed 
over  to  England,  was  the  year  in  which  the  Duke  of  Parma,  broken  in 
health,  left  the  Netherlands,  and  the  United  Provinces  secured  their  first 
assured  successes  in  the  contest  for  their  freedom.  It  is  possible  enough, 
therefore,  that  the  painting  may  have  been  left  behind  by  the  duke  with 
other  property  not  easily  transported,  and  that  it  then  fell  into  the  hands 
either  of  the  Dutch  or  some  one  of  the  English  adventurers  who  served  with 
them,  and  thus  wandered  across  the  Channel  as  part  of  the  spoils  of  war. 

The  frame  in  which  the  picture  is  inclosed  is  a  remarkable  piece  of 
antique  carving.  At  the  base  is  a  trophy  of  crossed  cannon  mounted  on 
carriages,  trumpets,  cannon  cartridges,  armor,  drums,  or  other  insignia  of 
war.  On  either  side  the  warlike  trophies  are  continued,  with  clusters  of 
pistols,  bandoleers  carrying  loaded  cartridges,  Indian  arrows,  war-clubs, 
etc.,  with  four  cupidons  supporting  shields  on  each  side,  and  an  anchor  at 
each  corner  of  the  base.  The  frame  is  topped  by  two  cupids,  supporting  a 
shield  topped  with  a  crown,  against  a  grouping  of  standards  and  cannon. 
The  shield  bears  as  quarterings  an  anchor,  a  ship  under  sail,  a  naked  arm 
brandishing  a  sword,  and  islands  in  the  sea.  When  Columbus  returned 
from  his  first  voyage,  Ferdinand  conferred  upon  him,  at  Barcelona,  as 
Irving  relates,  a  coat-of-arms,  "  in  which  the  royal  arms,  the  castle  and  lion, 
were  quartered  with  his  proper  bearings,  which  were  a  group  of  islands 
surrounded  by  waves."  When  the  royal  favor  was  removed  from  him,  he 
naturally  substituted  these  more  appropriate  quarterings  for  those  which  he 
was  no  longer  granted  the  gracious  regal  privilege  to  bear.  The  carving  of 
the  frame  is  in  high  relief  and  in  the  Spanish  style  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

On  examining  the  setting  of  the  supposed  jewels  of  the  second  ring  on 
the  index  finger,  the  interesting  fact  is  developed  that  they  are  the  arms  of 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  exquisitely  painted  in  miniature.  This  discovery 
completes  a  very  important  chain  of  evidence.  The  picture  presents  the 
name  of  Columbus,  the  Indian  arrows,  and  the  arms  of  the  court. 

Tt  appears  that  no  other  portrait  in  existence  ha>  so  many  evidences  of  its 
authenticity  as  an  actual  portrayal  of  the  great  discoverer. 


THE    MORO    COLUMBUS. 


Painted  in  is42  at  the  court  of  Philip  II.  'f  Spain^  by  Sir 
Antonio  Moro^  from  two  miniatures  in  the  palace  of  El 
Par  do,  which  miniatures  have  since  been  destroyed.  The 
original  painting  is  now  in  the  collection  of  C.  F.  Gunther, 
Es?.,  of  Chicago,  by  whose  kind  permission  this  reproduc 
tion  has  been  made. 


THE  LIFE   OF  COLUM&U& 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

VISIT   OF  OJEDA   TO   THE   WEST    END    OF  THE   ISLAND.— 
CONSPIRACY   OF    MOXICA.       [1499.] 

if 

ABOUT  this  time  reports  were  brought  to  Columbus 
that  four  ships  had  anchored  at  the  western  part  of  the 
island,  a  little  below  Jacquemel,  apparently  with  the  de 
sign  of  cutting  dyewoods  and  carrying  off  the  natives  for 
slaves.  They  were  commanded  by  Alonzo  de  Ojeda,  the 
same  hot-headed  and  bold-hearted  cavalier  who  had  dis 
tinguished  himself  by  the  capture  of  Caonabo.  Knowing 
the  daring  and  adventurous  spirit  of  this  man,  the 
Admiral  was  disturbed  at  his  visiting  the  island  in  this 
clandestine  manner.  To  call  him  to  account,  however, 
required  a  man  of  spirit  and  address.  No  one  seemed 
fitter  for  the  purpose  than  Roldan.  He  was  as  daring  as 
Ojeda,  and  of  a  more  crafty  character.  An  expedition 
of  this  kind  would  occupy  the  attention  of  himself  and 
his  partisans,  and  divert  them  from  any  schemes  of 
mischief. 

Roldan  gladly  undertook  the  enterprise.  He  had 
nothing  further  to  gain  by  sedition,  and  was  anxious  to 
secure  his  ill-gotten  possessions  by  public  services,  which 
should  atone  for  past  offences.  Departing  from  San 
Domingo,  with  two  caravels,  he  arrived  on  the  26th  of 
September  within  two  leagues  of  the  harbor  where  the 
vessels  of  Ojeda  were  anchored.  Here,  landing-with  five- 
and-twenty  resolute  men,  he  intercepted  Ojeda,  who  was 
on  an  excursion  several  leagues  from  his  ships,  and  de 
manded  his  motives  for  landing  on  that  remote  and 
lonely  part  of  the  island,  without  first  reporting  his  arrival 


AMERIGO    VESPUCCI.  2$  I 

to  the  Admiral.  Ojeda  replied  that  he  had  been  on  a 
voyage  of  discovery,  and  had  put  in  there  in  distress,  to 
repair  his  ships  and  obtain  provisions.  On  further  in 
quiry  it  appeared  that  Ojeda  had  happened  to  be  in  Spain 
at  the  time  that  the  letters  arrived  from  Columbus,  giving 
an  account  of  his  discovery  of  the  coast  of  Paria,  accom 
panied  by  specimens  of  the  pearls  to  be  found  there. 
Ojeda  was  a  favorite  with  Bishop  Fonseca,  and  obtaineof 
a  sight  of  the  letter  and  the  charts  and  maps  of  the  route 
of  Columbus.  He  immediately  conceived  the  idea  of  an 
expedition  to  those  parts,  in  which  he  was  encouraged 
by  Fonseca,  who  furnished  him  with  copies  of  the  papers 
and  charts,  and  granted  him  a  letter  of  license,  signed  by 
himself,  but  not  by  the  sovereigns.  Ojeda  fitted  out  four 
ships  at  Seville,  assisted  by  many  eager  and  wealthy 
speculators ;  and  in  this  squadron  sailed  Amerigo  Ves 
pucci,  a  Florentine  merchant,  well  acquainted  with  geog 
raphy  and  navigation,  who  eventually  gave  his  name  to 
the  whole  of  the  New  World.  The  expedition  sailed  in 
May,  1499.  The  adventurers  arrived  on  the  southern 
continent,  and  ranged  along  it,  from  two  hundred  leagues 
east  of  the  Orinoco  to  the  Gulf  of  Paria.  Guided  by  the 
charts  of  Columbus,  they  passed  through  this  gulf  and 
through  the  Boca  del  Drago,  kept  along  westward  to 
Cape  de  la  Vela,  visiting  the  island  of  Margarita,  and  the 
adjacent  continent,  and  discovering  the  gulf  of  Venezu 
ela.  They  had  subsequently  touched  at  the  Caribbee 
Islands,  where  they  had  fought  with  the  fierce  natives 
and  made  many  captives,  with  the  design  of  selling  them 
in  the  slave  markets  of  Seville.  From  thence  they  had 
sailed  for  Hispaniola  to  procure  supplies,  having  per 
formed  the  most  extensive  voyage  hitherto  made  along 
the  shores  of  the  New  World. 

Ojeda  assured   Roldan  that  he  intended,  as   soon  as 


252  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

his  ships  were  ready,  to  go  to  San  Domingo  and  pay  his 
homage  to  the  Admiral.  Trusting  to  this  assurance,  and 
satisfied  with  the  information  he  had  obtained,  Roldan 
sailed  for  San  Domingo  to  make  his  report.  Nothing, 
however,  was  farther  from  the  intention  of  Ojeda  than  to 
keep  his  promise.  As  soon  as  his  ships  were  ready  for 
sea,  he  sailed  round  to  the  coast  of  Xaragua.  Here  he 
was  well  received  by  the  Spaniards  resident  in  that  prov 
ince,  among  whom  were  many  of  the  late  comrades  of 
Roldan.  Knowing  the  rash  and  fearless  character  of 
Ojeda,  and  finding  that  there  were  jealousies  between 
him  and  the  Admiral,  they  made  clamorous  complaints 
of  the  injustice  of  the  latter,  whom  they  accused  of  with 
holding  from  them  the  arrears  of  their  pay.  Ojeda,  who 
knew  the  tottering  state  of  the  Admiral's  favor  at  court, 
and  felt  secure  in  the  powerful  protection  of  Fonseca, 
immediately  proposed  to  put  himself  at  their  head, 
march  at  once  to  San  Domingo,  and  oblige  the  Admiral 
to  satisfy  their  just  demands.  The  proposition  was  re 
ceived  with  transport  by  some  of  the  rebels ;  but  others 
demurred,  and  a  furious  brawl  ensued,  in  which  several 
were  killed  and  wounded  on  both  sides ;  the  party  for 
the  expedition  to  San  Domingo  remained  triumphant. 

Fortunately  for  the  peace  and  safety  of  the  Admiral, 
Roldan,  who  had  received  news  of  the  movements  of 
Ojeda,  arrived  in  the  neighborhood  at  this  critical  junct 
ure  with  a  band  of  resolute  followers,  and  was  re-enforced 
on  the  following  day  by  his  old  confederate,  Diego  de 
Escobar,  with  additional  forces.  Ojeda  retired  to  his 
ships  ;  a  long  course  of  manoeuvring  took  place  between 
these  well-matched  adversaries,  each  striving  to  gain  an 
advantage  of  the  other.  Ojeda  at  length  was  obliged  to 
abandon  the  coast,  and  made  sail  for  some  other  island 
to  make  up  his  cargo  of  Indian  slaves. 


HERNANDO   DE   GUEVARA.  253 

The  followers  of  Roldan  took  great  merit  to  themselves 
for  their  unwonted  loyalty  in  driving  Ojeda  from  the 
island ;  and,  like  all  reformed  knaves,  expected  that 
their  good  conduct  would  be  amply  rewarded.  Look 
ing  upon  their  leader  as  having  everything  in  his  gift, 
they  requested  him  to  share  among  them  the  fine  prov 
ince  of  Cahay,  adjoining  to  Xaragua.  Roldan,  who  was 
now  anxious  to  establish  a  character  of  adherence  to  the 
law,  declined  acceding  to  their  wishes,  until  sanctioned  by 
the  Admiral ;  but,  to  soothe  their  impatient  rapacity,  he 
shared  among  them  the  lands  which  had  been  granted  to 
him  in  Xaragua.  While  he  was  remaining  in  this  neigh 
borhood  other  troubles  broke  out,  and  from  somewhat  of 
a  romantic  cause.  A  young  cavalier  of  noble  family, 
named  Hernando  de  Guevara,  cousin  to  Adrian  de  Mox- 
ica,  one  of  the  ringleaders  of  the  late  rebellion,  was  ban 
ished  from  San  Domingo  for  licentious  conduct,  and  sent 
to  Xaragua  to  embark  in  the  ships  of  Ojeda,  but  arrived 
after  their  departure.  He  was  treated  with  indulgence 
by  Roldan  on  account  of  his  old  comrade,  Adrian  de 
Moxica,  and  was  favorably  received  at  the  house  of  the 
female  cacique,  Anacaona.  That  remarkable  woman  still 
retained  her  partiality  to  the  Spaniards,  notwithstanding 
the  disgraceful  scenes  that  had  passed  before  her  eyes. 
By  her  late  husband,  Caonabo,  she  had  a  daughter, 
named  Higuenamota,  just  grown  up,  and  greatly  admired 
for  her  beauty.  Guevara  became  enamored  of  her.  He 
possessed  an  agreeable  person  and  winning  manners, 
though  he  was  headstrong  in  his  passions  and  destitute 
of  principle.  His  endearments  soon  won  the  heart  of  the 
simple  Indian  girl.  Anacaona,  the  mother,  pleased  with 
the  gallant  appearance  and  ingratiating  manners  of  the 
youthful  cavalier,  favored  his  attachment,  especially  as 
he  sought  her  daughter  in  marriage.  Roldan  was  him- 


254  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

self  attached  to  the  young  Indian  beauty,  and  jealous  of 
her  preference  of  his  rival.  He  exerted  his  authority  to 
separate  the  lovers,  and  banished  Guevara  to  the  province 
of  Cahay.  The  latter  soon  returned,  and  concealed  him 
self  in  the  dwelling  of  Anacaona.  Being  discovered,  and 
finding  Roldan  implacable  in  his  opposition  to  his  pas 
sion,  he  now  meditated  revenge.  He  soon  made  a  party 
among  the  old  comrades  of  Roldan,  who  detested  as  a 
magistrate  the  man  they  had  idolized  as  a  leader.  It  was 
concerted  to  rise  suddenly  upon  him,  and  either  to  kill 
him  or  put  out  his  eyes.  The  plot  was  discovered ; 
Guevara  was  seized  in  the  dwelling  of  Anacaona,  in  the 
presence  of  his  intended  bride  ;  seven  of  his  accomplices 
were  likewise  arrested,  and  the  prisoners  were  sent  to  the 
fortress  of  San  Domingo. 

When  Adrian  de  Moxica  heard  that  his  cousin  Guevara 
was  arrested,  and  that,  too,  by  his  former  confederate, 
Roldan,  he  was  highly  exasperated.  He  hastened  to  the 
old  haunt  of  rebellion  at  Bonao,  and  claimed  the  co-op 
eration  of  Pedro  Reguelme,  the  newly  appointed  alcalde. 
It  was  readily  yielded.  They  went  round  among  their 
late  fellow-rebels  who  were  settled  in  the  vega,  and  had 
soon  a  daring  body  of  reckless  men  ready,  with  horse 
and  weapon,  for  any  desperate  enterprise.  Moxica,  in 
his  fury,  meditated  not  merely  the  rescue  of  his  cousin, 
but  the  death  of  Roldan  and  the  Admiral. 

Columbus  was  at  Fort  Conception,  with  an  inconsider 
able  force,  when  he  heard  of  this  dangerous  plot,  con 
certed  in  his  very  neighborhood.  He  saw  that  his  safety 
depended  upon  prompt  and  vigorous  measures.  Taking 
with  him  but  six  or  seven  trusty  servants,  and  three  es 
quires,  all  well  armed,  he  came  suddenly  upon  the  con 
spirators  in  the  night,  seized  Moxica  and  several  of  his 
principal  confederates,  and  bore  them  off  to  Fort  Con- 


FATE  OF  MOXICA.  2$$ 

ception.  Resolving  to  set  an  example  that  should  strike 
terror  into  the  factions,  he  ordered  that  Moxica  should 
be  hanged  on  the  top  of  the  fortress.  The  latter  en 
treated  to  be  allowed  a  confessor.  A  priest  was  sent  for. 
The  miserable  culprit,  who  had  been  so  daring  in  rebel 
lion,  lost  all  courage  at  the  near  approach  of  death.  He 
delayed  and  hesitated  in  his  confession,  as  if  hoping,  by 
whiling  away  time,  to  give  a  chance  for  rescue.  Instead 
of  confessing  his  own  sins  he  began  to  accuse  others, 
until  Columbus,  losing  all  patience,  in  his  mingled  indig 
nation  and  scorn,  ordered  the  dastard  wretch  to  be  flung 
from  the  battlements. 

This  sudden  act  of  severity  was  promptly  followed  up. 
Pedro  Reguelme  was  taken,  with  several  of  his  compeers, 
in  his  ruffian-den  at  Bonao,  and  conveyed  to  the  fortress 
of  San  Domingo.  The  conspirators  fled  for  the  most 
part  to  Xaragua,  where  they  were  pursued  by  the  adelan- 
tado,  seconded  by  Roldan,  and  hunted  out  of  all  their 
old  retreats.  Thus  in  a  little  while  the  power  of  faction 
was  completely  subdued. 

Columbus  considered  this  happy  event  as  brought 
about  by  the  special  intervention  of  Heaven,  and  gives 
in  proof  of  it  an  instance  of  one  of  those  visionary 
fancies  by  which  he  seems  to  have  been  visited  at  times 
when  his  mind  was  distempered  by  illness  or  anxiety.  In 
the  preceding  winter,  during  the  height  of  his  cares  and 
troubles,  he  had  sunk  into  a  state  of  despondency.  In 
one  of  his  gloomy  moods  he  heard,  he  says,  a  voice 
which  thus  addressed  him  :  "  O  man  of  little  faith  !  fear 
nothing,  be  not  cast  down.  I  will  provide  for  thee.  The 
seven  years  of  the  term  of  gold  are  not  expired.*  In 

*  Alluding  to  his  vow,  that  within  seven  years  he  would  furnish  an 
army  for  a  crusade,  from  his  share  of  the  gold  to  be  found  in  the  New 
World. 


THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

that  and  in  all  other  things  I  will  take  care  of  thee." 
On  that  very  day,  he  adds,  he  received  intelligence  of 
the  discovery  of  a  number  of  gold  mines.  The  imagi 
nary  promise  of  divine  aid  appeared  to  him  still  to  be 
performing.  The  troubles  and  dangers  which  had  sur 
rounded  him  were  breaking  away,  and  order  was  coming 
out  of  confusion.  He  now  looked  forward  to  the  pros 
ecution  of  his  grand  enterprises,  the  exploring  the  coast 
of  Paria,  and  the  establishment  of  a  pearl  fishery  in  its 
waters.  How  illusive  were  his  hopes  !  At  this  very 
moment  those  events  were  maturing  that  were  to  over 
whelm  him  with  distress,  strip  him  of  his  honors,  and 
render  him  comparatively  a  wreck  for  the  remainder  of 
his  days  ! 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

INTRIGUES  AGAINST  COLUMBUS  IN  THE  SPANISH 
COURT. — APPOINTMENT  OF  BOBADILLA  AS  COMMIS 
SIONER. — HIS  ARRIVAL  AT  SAN  DOMINGO.  [1500.] 

WHILE  Columbus  had  been  involved  in  a  series  of 
difficulties  in  the  factious  island  of  Hispaniola,  his  ene 
mies  had  been  but  too  successful  in  undermining  his 
reputation  in  the  court  of  Spain.  Every  vessel  that 
returned  from  the  New  World  came  freighted  with  com 
plaints,  representing  the  character  and  conduct  of  Co 
lumbus  and  his  brothers  in  the  most  odious  point  of 
view,  and  reiterating  the  illiberal,  but  mischievous,  insin 
uation  that  they  were  foreigners,  who  had  nothing  but 
their  own  interest  and  gratification  in  view.  It  was  even 
alleged  that  Columbus  intended  to  cast  off  all  allegiance 
to  Spain,  and  cither  to  make  himself  sovereign  of  the 


ENEMIES   OF  COLUMBUS  AT  COURT.  257 

countries  he  had  discovered,  or  to  yield  them  into  the 
hands  of  some  other  power;  a  slander  which,  however 
extravagant,  was  calculated  to  startle  the  jealous  mind  of 
Ferdinand.  The  Bishop  Fonseca,  and  other  enemies  of 
Columbus  who  were  about  the  court,  having  continual 
access  to  the  sovereigns,  were  enabled  to  place  every 
thing  urged  against  him  in  the  strongest  point  of  view, 
while  they  destroyed  the  force  of  his  vindications.  They 
had  a  plausible  logic  by  which  to  convict  him  of  either 
bad  management  or  bad  faith.  There  was  an  incessant 
drain  upon  the  mother  country  for  the  support  of  the 
colony.  Was  this  compatible,  they  asked,  with  the  ex 
travagant  pictures  he  had  drawn  of  the  wealth  of  the 
island  and  its  golden  mountains,  in  which  he  had  pre 
tended  to  find  the  Ophir  of  ancient  days,  the  source  of 
the  riches  of  King  Solomon  ?  They  inferred  that  he  had 
either  deceived  the  sovereigns  by  exaggerations  or  grossly 
wronged  them  by  malpractices,  or  that  he  was  totally 
incapable  of  the  duties  of  government. 

For  the  purpose  of  irritating  the  pride  of  the  king, 
every  repining  man  who  returned  from  the  colony  was 
encouraged  to  put  in  claims  for  arrears  of  pay  withheld 
by  Columbus,  or  losses  sustained  in  his  service.  A  gang 
of  the  disorderly  ruffians  who  had  been  shipped  off,  to 
free  the  island  from  their  seditions,  found  their  way  to 
the  court  at  Granada.  They  followed  the  king  when  he 
rode  out,  filling  the  air  with  complaints,  and  clamoring 
for  their  pay.  About  fifty  of  them  assembled  one  day 
in  the  main  court  of  the  Alhambra,  under  the  royal 
apartments,  holding  up  bunches  of  grapes  as  the  meagre 
diet  to  which  they  were  reduced  by  their  poverty,  and  by 
the  cruel  deceits  of  Columbus.  Seeing  the  two  sons  of 
the  Admiral  pass  by,  who  were  pages  to  the  queen,  they 
followed  them  with  imprecations.  "  There  go,"  cried 

n 


THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

they,  "  the  whelps  of  him  who  discovered  the  land  of 
vanity  and  delusion,  the  grave  of  Spanish  hidalgoes  !  " 

The  incessant  repetition  of  falsehood  will  gradually 
wear  its  way  into  the  most  candid  mind.  Isabella  her 
self  began  to  entertain  doubts  respecting  the  conduct  of 
Columbus.  If  he  and  his  brothers  were  upright,  they 
might  be  injudicious;  and  mischief  is  oftener  produced 
in  government  through  error  of  judgment  than  iniquity 
of  design.  Isabella  doubted,  but  the  jealous  Ferdinand 
felt  convinced.  He  had  never  regarded  Columbus  with 
real  cordiality,  and  ever  since  he  had  ascertained  the 
importance  of  his  discoveries,  had  regretted  the  extensive 
powers  he  had  vested  in  his  hands.  He  now  resolved  to 
send  out  some  person  to  investigate  the  affairs  of  the 
colony,  and,  if  necessary  for  its  safety,  to  assume  the 
command.  This  measure  had  actually  been  decided 
upon  and  the  papers  drawn  out  early  in  1499 ;  but,  from 
various  reasons,  had  been  postponed.  It  is  probable 
Isabella  opposed  so  harsh  a  step  against  a  man  for  whom 
she  entertained  an  ardent  gratitude  and  high  admiration. 
The  arrival  of  the  ships  with  the  late  followers  of  Roldan 
brought  matters  to  a  crisis.  The  king  listened  entirely 
to  the  representations  of  the  rebels,  and  a  circumstance 
took  place  which,  for  a  time,  suspended  the  friendship 
of  Isabella,  the  great  safeguard  of  Columbus. 

The  followers  of  Roldan  brought  with  them  a  number 
of  slaves,  some  of  which  Columbus  had  been  compelled 
to  grant  them  by  the  articles  of  capitulation,  others  had 
been  conveyed  away  clandestinely.  Among  them  were 
several  daughters  of  caciques,  who  had  been  seduced 
from  their  homes  by  these  profligates.  Some  were  in  a 
state  of  pregnancy,  others  had  new-born  infants.  The 
gifts  and  transfers  of  these  unhappy  beings  were  all  rep 
resented  as  voluntary  acts  of  Columbus.  The  sensibility 


DON  FRANCISCO  DE  BOBADILLA.  259 

of  Isabella  as  a  woman,  and  her  dignity  as  a  queen,  were 
instantly  in  arms.  "  What  right,"  exclaimed  she,  indig 
nantly,  "  has  the  Admiral  to  give  away  my  vassals?" 
She  immediately  ordered  all  the  Indians  to  be  restored  to 
their  homes  ;  nay,  more,  she  commanded  that  those  which 
had  formerly  been  sent  to  Spain  by  the  Admiral  should 
be  sought  out  and  reshipped  to  Hispaniola.  Unfortu 
nately  for  Columbus,  at  this  very  juncture,  in  one  of  his 
letters  he  advised  the  continuance  of  Indian  slavery  for 
some  time  longer,  as  a  measure  important  to  the  wel 
fare  of  the  colony.  This  contributed  to  heighten  the 
indignation  of  Isabella,  and  induced  her  no  longer  to 
oppose  the  sending  out  a  commissioner  to  investigate 
his  conduct,  and,  if  necessary,  to  supersede  him  in  com 
mand. 

The  person  chosen  for  this  most  momentous  office  was 
Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla,  an  officer  of  the  royal  house 
hold,  and  a  commander  of  the  military  and  religious 
order  of  Calatrava.  He  is  represented  by  some  as  a 
very  honest  and  religious  man  ;  by  others,  and  with  ap 
parent  justice,  as  needy,  passionate,  and  ambitious — three 
powerful  objections  to  his  acting  as  judge  in  a  case  where 
the  utmost  caution  and  candor  were  required,  and  where 
he  was  to  derive  wealth  and  power  from  the  conviction 
of  one  of  the  parties. 

Bobadilla  arrived  at  San  Domingo  on  the  23d  of  Aug 
ust,  1500.  Before  entering  the  harbor  he  learnt,  from  a 
canoe  which  came  off  from  the  shore,  that  the  Admiral 
and  the  adelantado  were  absent  in  the  interior  of  the 
island,  and  Don  Diego  in  command.  He  was  told  of  the 
recent  insurrection  of  Moxica,  and  the  punishments  which 
had  followed.  Seven  of  the  rebels  had  been  hanged  that 
week,  and  five  more  were  in  the  fortress  of  San  Domingo, 
condemned  to  suffer  the  same  fate.  Among  these  were 


26o  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

Pedro  Reguelme,  the  factious  alcalde  of  Bonao,  and  Fer 
nando  de  Guevara,  the  young  cavalier  whose  passion  for 
the  daughter  of  Anacaona  had  been  the  original  cause  of 
the  rebellion.  As  the  vessels  entered  the  river,  Boba- 
dilla  beheld  on  either  bank  a  gibbet,  with  the  body  of 
a  Spaniard  hanging  on  it.  Me  considered  all  these  cir 
cumstances  as  conclusive  proofs  of  the  alleged  cruelty  of 
Columbus. 

The  report  had  already  circulated  in  the  city,  that  a 
commissioner  had  arrived  to  make  inquisition  into  the 
late  troubles.  Many  hastened  on  board  the  ship  to  pay 
early  court  to  this  public  censor;  and  as  those  who  sought 
to  secure  his  favor  were  those  who  had  most  to  fear 
from  his  scrutiny,  it  is  evident  that  the  nature  of  their 
communications  was  generally  unfavorable  to  the  Admi 
ral.  In  fact,  before  Bobadilla  landed,  if  not  before  he 
arrived,  the  culpability  of  the  Admiral  was  decided  in  his 
mind.  He  acted  accordingly.  He  made  proclamation 
at  the  church  door,  in  presence  of  Don  Diego  and  the 
other  persons  in  authority,  of  his  letters  patent,  author 
izing  him  to  investigate  the  rebellion  and  proceed  against 
delinquents ;  and  in  virtue  of  these  he  demanded  that 
Guevara,  Reguelme,  and  the  other  prisoners  should  be 
delivered  up  to  him,  with  the  depositions  taken  in  their 
cases. 

Don  Diego  declared  he  could  do  nothing  of  the  kind 
without  the  authority  of  the  Admiral,  and  requested  a 
copy  of  the  letters  patent,  that  he  might  send  it  to  his 
brother.  This  Bobadilla  refused,  and  added,  that  since 
the  office  he  proclaimed  appeared  to  have  no  weight,  he 
would  try  what  efficacy  there  was  in  the  name  of  gov 
ernor.  On  the  following  day,  therefore,  he  had  another 
royal  patent  read,  investing  him  with  the  government  of 
the  islands,  and  of  Terra  Firma  ;  an  authority  which  he 


ASCENDENCY  OF  BOBADILLA.  2l 

was  only  to  have  assumed  on  absolute  proof  of  the  delin 
quency  of  Columbus.  This  letter  being  read,  he  again 
demanded  the  prisoners,  and  was  again  refused,  Don 
Diego  observing  that  they  were  held  in  obedience  to  the 
Admiral,  to  whom  the  sovereigns  had  granted  letters  of 
a  higher  nature. 

Bobadilla  now  produced  a  mandate  from  the  Crown, 
ordering  Columbus  and  his  brothers  to  deliver  up  all 
fortresses,  ships,  and  other  royal  property  ;  and  another, 
ordering  that  the  arrears  of  wages  due  to  all  persons  in 
the  royal  service  should  be  immediately  paid,  and  the 
Admiral  compelled  to  pay  the  arrears  of  those  to  whom 
he  was  individually  accountable. 

This  last  document  was  received  with  shouts  by  the 
multitude,  to  many  of  whom  long  arrears  were  due,  in 
consequence  of  the  poverty  of  the  treasury.  Flushed 
with  his  growing  importance  and  popularity,  Bobadilla 
again  demanded  the  prisoners,  and  receiving  the  same 
reply,  he  proceeded  to  the  fortress  and  made  a  formal 
demand  of  them  of  the  alcayde  Miguel  Diaz.  The  latter 
refused  to  surrender  them  to  any  one  but  the  Admiral. 
Upon  this  the  whole  spirit  of  Bobadilla  was  aroused. 
He  assembled  the  sailors  of  the  ships  and  the  rabble  of 
the  place,  marched  them  to  the  prison,  broke  open  the 
door,  which  readily  gave  way,  while  some  of  his  myrmi 
dons  put  up  ladders  to  scale  the  walls.  The  alcayde, 
Miguel  Diaz,  and  Don  Diego  de  Alvarado  appeared  on 
the  battlements  with  drawn  swords,  but  offered  no  re 
sistance.  The  fortress,  having  no  garrison,  was  easily 
carried,  and  the  prisoners  were  borne  off  in  triumph,  and 
given  in  custody  to  an  alguazil. 

Such  was  the  entrance  into  office  of  Francisco  de 
Bobadilla,  and  he  continued  his  career  in  the  same  spirit, 
acting  as  if  he  had  been  sent  out  to  degrade  the  Admiral, 


262  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

not  to  inquire  into  his  conduct.  He  took  up  his  resi 
dence  in  the  house  of  Columbus,  seized  upon  his  arms, 
gold,  plate,  jewels,  horses,  books,  letters,  and  most  secret 
manuscripts,  giving  no  account  of  the  property  thus 
seized,  paying  out  of  it  the  wages  of  those  to  whom  the 
Admiral  was  in  arrears,  and  disposing  of  the  rest  as  if 
already  confiscated  to  the  Crown.  To  increase  his  favor 
with  the  people,  he  proclaimed  a  general  license  for 
twenty  years  to  seek  for  gold,  exacting  merely  one- 
eleventh  for  government,  instead  of  a  third,  as  heretofore. 
At  the  same  time  he  used  the  most  unqualified  language 
in  speaking  of  Columbus,  hinted  that  he  was  empowered 
to  send  him  home  in  chains,  and  declared  that  neither  he 
nor  any  of  his  lineage  would  ever  again  be  permitted  to 
govern  the  island. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

COLUMBUS   ARRESTED   AND    SENT   TO   SPAIN.      [l5OO.] 

WHEN  Columbus  received  tidings  at  Fort  Conception 
of  the  high-handed  proceedings  of  Bobadilla,  he  consid 
ered  them  the  unauthorized  act  of  some  rash  adventurer; 
but  the  proclamation  of  his  letters  patent,  which  imme 
diately  took  place  throughout  the  island,  soon  convinced 
him  he  was  acting  under  authority.  He  endeavored  then 
to  persuade  himself  that  Bobadilla  was  sent  out  to  exer 
cise  the  functions  of  chief  judge,  in  compliance  with  the 
request  contained  in  one  of  his  own  letters  to  the  sov 
ereigns,  and  that  he  was  perhaps  intrusted  with  provis 
ional  powers  to  inquire  into  the  late  troubles  of  the 
island.  All  beyond  these  powers  he  tried  to  believe 


ARREST  OF  COLUMBUS.  263 

were  mere  assumptions  and  exaggerations  of  authority, 
as  in  the  case  of  Aguado.  His  consciousness  of  his  own 
services  and  integrity,  and  his  faith  in  the  justice  of  the 
sovereigns  forbade  him  to  think  otherwise.  He  pro 
ceeded  to  act  on  this  idea ;  writing  temperate  and  con 
ciliatory  letters  to  Bobadilla,  cautioning  him  against  his 
precipitate  measures,  while  he  endeavored  by  counter 
proclamations  to  prevent  the  mischief  he  was  producing. 
Messengers  soon  arrived,  however,  who  delivered  to  him 
a  royal  letter  of  credence,  commanding  him  to  give  im 
plicit  faith  and  obedience  to  Bobadilla,  and  they  gave 
him,  at  the  same  time,  a  summons  from  the  latter  to 
appear  before  him  immediately  at  San  Domingo.  This 
laconic  letter  from  the  sovereigns  struck  at  once  at  the 
root  of  his  dignity  and  power  ;  he  made  no  longer  any 
hesitation  or  demur,  but  departed  alone  and  almost  un 
attended  to  obey  the  peremptory  summons  of  Bobadilla. 
The  latter,  in  the  meantime,  had  made  a  bustle  of  prep 
aration  and  mustered  the  troops,  affecting  to  believe  a 
vulgar  rumor  that  Columbus  had  called  on  the  caciques 
of  the  vega  to  aid  him  in  resisting  the  commands  of  the 
government.  He  moreover  arrested  Don  Diego,  threw 
him  in  irons,  and  confined  him  on  board  of  a  caravel, 
without  assigning  any  cause  for  his  imprisonment. 

No  sooner  did  he  hear  of  the  arrival  of  Columbus  than 
he  gave  orders  to  put  him  also  in  irons,  and  to  confine 
him  in  the  fortress. 

This  outrage  to  a  person  of  such  dignified  and  venera 
ble  appearance,  and  such  eminent  merit,  seemed  for  a 
time  to  shock  even  his  enemies.  When  the  irons  were 
brought,  every  one  present  shrunk  from  the  task  of  put 
ting  them  on  him,  either  out  of  a  sentiment  of  compas 
sion  at  so  great  a  reverse  of  fortune,  or  out  of  habitual 
reverence  for  his  person.  To  fill  the  measure  of  ingrati- 


264  THE   LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

tude  meted  out  to  him,  it  was  one  of  his  own  servants 
that  volunteered  to  rivet  his  fetters. 

Columbus  conducted  himself  with  characteristic  mag 
nanimity  under  the  injuries  heaped  upon  him.  There  is 
a  noble  scorn  which  swells  and  supports  the  heart,  and 
silences  the  tongue  of  the  truly  great,  when  enduring  the 
insults  of  the  unworthy.  Columbus  could  not  stoop  to 
deprecate  the  arrogance  of  a  weak  and  violent  man  like 
Bobadilla.  He  looked  beyond  this  shallow  agent,  and  all 
his  petty  tyranny,  to  the  sovereigns  who  had  employed 
him.  It  was  their  injustice  and  ingratitude  alone  that 
could  wound  his  spirit ;  and  he  felt  assured  that  when  the 
truth  came  to  be  known  they  would  blush  to  find  how 
greatly  they  had  wronged  him.  With  this  proud  assur 
ance,  he  bore  all  present  indignities  in  silence.  He  even 
wrote,  at  the  demand  of  Bobadilla,  a  letter  to  the  adelan- 
tado,  who  was  still  in  Xaragua,  at  the  head  of  an  armed 
force,  exhorting  him  to  submit  quietly  to  the  will  of  the 
sovereigns.  Don  Bartholomew  immediately  complied. 
Relinquishing  his  command,  he  hastened  peacefully  to 
San  Domingo,  and,  on  arriving,  experienced  the  same 
treatment  with  his  brothers,  being  put  in  irons,  and  con 
fined  on  board  of  a  caravel.  They  were  kept  separate 
from  each  other,  and  no  communication  permitted  be 
tween  them.  Bobadilla  did  not  see  them  himself,  nor 
did  he  allow  others  to  visit  them  ;  and  they  were  kept 
in  total  ignorance  of  the  crimes  with  which  they  were 
charged,  and  the  proceedings  that  were  instituted  against 
them. 

The  old  scenes  of  the  time  of  Aguado  were  now  re 
newed  with  tenfold  virulence.  All  the  old  charges  were 
revived,  and  others  added,  still  more  extravagant  in  their 
nature.  Columbus  was  accused  of  having  prevented  the 
conversion  of  the  Indians,  that  they  might  be  sold  as 


BARTHOLOMEW    COLUMBUS. 
Redrawn  from   Herrercts   "History  of  the    West  Indie*. 


266  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

slaves ;  with  having  secreted  pearls  collected  on  the 
coast  of  Paria,  and  kept  the  sovereigns  in  ignorance  of 
the  nature  of  his  discoveries  there,  in  order  to  exact  new 
privileges  from  them.  Even  the  late  tumults  were  turned 
into  matters  of  accusation,  and  the  rebels  admitted  as 
evidence.  The  well-merited  punishments  inflicted  upon 
certain  of  the  ringleaders  were  cited  as  proofs  of  a  cruel 
and  revengeful  disposition,  and  a  secret  hatred  of  Span 
iards.  Guevara,  Reguelme,  and  their  fellow-convicts 
were  discharged  almost  without  the  form  of  a  trial.  Rol- 
dan,  from  the  very  first,  had  been  treated  with  confidence 
by  Bobadilla;  all  the  others  whose  conduct  had  rendered 
them  liable  to  justice  received  either  a  special  acquittal 
or  a  general  pardon. 

Bobadilla  had  now  collected  testimony  sufficient,  as  he 
thought,  to  insure  the  condemnation  of  the  prisoners, 
and  his  own  continuance  in  command.  He  determined, 
therefore,  to  send  home  the  Admiral  and  his  brothers  in 
chains,  in  the  vessels  which  were  ready  for  sea,  with  the 
inquest  taken  in  their  case,  and  private  letters  enforcing 
the  charges  made  against  them. 

San  Domingo  now  swarmed  with  miscreants,  just  de 
livered  from  the  dungeon  and  the  gibbet.  Every  base 
spirit  which  had  been  overawed  by  Columbus  and  his 
brothers,  when  in  power,  now  hastened  to  revenge  itself 
upon  them  when  in  chains.  The  most  injurious  slanders 
were  loudly  proclaimed  in  the  streets,  pasquinades  and 
libels  were  posted  up  at  the  corners,  and  horns  blown  in 
the  neighborhood  of  their  prisons,  to  taunt  them  with 
the  exultings  of  the  rabble. 

The  charge  of  conducting  the  prisoners  to  Spain  was 
given  to  Alonzo  de  Villejo,  an  officer  who  was  in  the 
employ  of  Bishop  Fonseca.  He  was  instructed,  on  ar 
riving  at  Cadiz,  to  deliver  his  prisoners  into  the  hands  of 


COLUMBUS   TAKEN   TO    SPAIN.  267 

the  bishop,  which  circumstance  has  caused  a  belief  that 
Fonseca  was  the  secret  instigator  of  all  these  violent 
proceedings.  Villejo,  however,  was  a  man  of  honorable 
character  and  generous  feelings,  and  showed  himself 
superior  to  the  low  malignity  of  his  patrons.  When  he 
arrived  with  a  guard  to  conduct  the  Admiral  from  the 
prison  to  the  ship,  he  found  him  in  chains,  in  a  state  of 
deep  despondency.  So  violently  had  he  been  treated, 
and  so  savage  were  the  passions  let  loose  against  him, 
he  had  begun  to  fear  he  should  be  sacrificed  without  an 
opportunity  of  being  heard,  and  that  his  name  would  go 
down  to  posterity  sullied  with  imputed  crimes. 

When  the  officer  entered  with  the  guard,  he  thought 
it  was  to  conduct  him  to  the  scaffold.  "  Villejo,"  said 
he,  mournfully,  "whither  are  you  taking  me?"  "  To  the 
ship,  your  excellency,  to  embark,"  replied  the  other. 
"  To  embark  !  "  repeated  the  Admiral,  earnestly.  "  Vil 
lejo,  do  you  speak  the  truth  ?  "  "  By  the  life  of  your  ex 
cellency,"  replied  the  honest  officer,  "  it  is  true  !  "  With 
these  words  the  Admiral  was  comforted,  and  felt  as  one 
restored  from  death  to  life. 

The  caravels  set  sail  early  in  October,  bearing  off  Co 
lumbus,  shackled  like  the  vilest  of  culprits,  amidst  the 
scoffs  and  shouts  of  a  miscreant  rabble,  who  took  a  brutal 
joy  in  heaping  insults  on  his  venerable  head,  and  sent 
curses  after  him  from  the  island  he  had  so  recently  added 
to  the  civilized  world.  Fortunately  the  voyage  was  fa 
vorable  and  of  moderate  duration,  and  was  rendered  less 
irksome  to  Columbus  by  the  conduct  of  those  to  whom 
he  was  given  in  custody.  The  worthy  Villejo,  as  well  as 
Andreas  Martin,  the  master  of  the  caravel,  felt  deeply 
grieved  at  his  situation,  and  always  treated  him  with  pro 
found  respect  and  assiduous  attention.  They  would  have 
taken  off  his  irons,  but  to  this  he  would  not  consent. 


268  TIfE    LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

"  No,"  said  he,  proudly,  "  their  majesties  commanded  me 
by  letter  to  submit  to  whatever  Bobadilla  should  order 
in  their  name  ;  by  their  authority  he  has  put  upon  me 
these  chains  ;  I  will  wear  them  until  they  shall  order  them 
to  be  taken  off,  and  I  will  afterwards  preserve  them  as 
relics  and  memorials  of  the  reward  of  my  services." 

"He  did  so,"  adds  his  son  Fernando,  in  his  history; 
"  I  saw  them  always  hanging  in  his  cabinet,  and  he 
requested  that  when  he  died  they  might  be  buried  with 
him!" 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

ARRIVAL  OF  COLUMBUS  IN  SPAIN. — HIS  INTERVIEW 
WITH  THE  SOVEREIGNS.  — APPOINTMENT  OF  OVANDO 
TO  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  HISPANIOLA.  I  5OO.  ] 

THE  arrival  of  Columbus  at  Cadiz,  a  prisoner,  and  in 
chains,  produced  almost  as  great  a  sensation  as  his  tri 
umphant  return  from  his  first  voyage.  A  general  burst 
of  indignation  arose  in  Cadiz,  and  in  the  powerful  and 
opulent  Seville,  which  was  immediately  echoed  through 
out  all  Spain.  No  one  stopped  to  reason  on  the  subject. 
It  was  sufficient  to  be  told  that  Columbus  was  brought 
home  in  chains  from  the  world  he  had  discovered. 

The  tidings  reached  the  court  of  Granada,  and  filled 
the  halls  of  the  Alhambra  with  murmurs  of  astonishment. 
On  the  arrival  of  the  ships  at  Cadi/:,  Andreas  Martin,  the 
captain,  had  permitted  Columbus  to  send  off  letters  pri 
vately  by  express.  The  Admiral,  full  of  his  wrongs,  but 
ignorant  how  far  they  had  been  authorized  by  the  sover 
eigns,  forbore  to  write  to  them.  He  sent  a  long  letter, 


LENIENCY  OF  FERDINAND.  269 

however,  to  a  lady  of  the  court,  high  in  favor  with  the 
queen,  and  who  had  been  nurse  to  Prince  Juan.  It  con 
tained  an  ample  vindication  of  his  conduct,  couched  in 
eloquent  and  dignified  and  touching  language.  When  it 
was  read  to  the  noble-minded  Isabella,  and  she  found 
how  grossly  Columbus  had  been  wronged  and  the  royal 
authority  abused,  her  heart  was  filled  with  mingled  sym 
pathy  and  indignation. 

However  Ferdinand  might  have  secretly  felt  disposed 
against  Columbus,  the  momentary  tide  of  public  senti 
ment  was  not  to  be  resisted.  He  joined  with  his  generous 
queen  in  her  reprobation  of  the  treatment  of  the  Admiral. 
Without  waiting  to  receive  any  documents  that  might 
arrive  from  Bobadilla,  they  sent  orders  to  Cadiz  that  the 
prisoners  should  be  instantly  set  at  liberty  and  treated 
with  all  distinction,  and  that  two  thousand  ducats  should 
be  advanced  to  Columbus  to  defray  the  expenses  of  his 
journey  to  court.  They  wrote  him  a  letter  at  the  same 
time,  expressing  their  grief  at  all  that  he  had  suffered, 
and  inviting  him  to  Granada. 

The  loyal  heart  of  Columbus  was  cheered  by  this  letter 
from  his  sovereigns.  He  appeared  at  court,  not  as  a  man 
ruined  and  disgraced,  but  richly  dressed,  and  with  an 
honorable  retinue.  He  was  received  by  their  majesties 
with  unqualified  favor  and  distinction.  When  the  queen 
beheld  this  venerable  man  approach,  and  thought  on  all 
he  had  deserved  and  all  that  he  had  suffered,  she  was 
moved  to  tears.  Columbus  had  borne  up  firmly  against 
the  stern  conflicts  of  the  world  ;  he  had  endured  with 
lofty  scorn  the  injuries  and  insults  of  ignoble  men,  but  he 
possessed  strong  and  quick  sensibility.  When  he  found 
himself  thus  kindly  received,  and  beheld  tears  in  the 
benign  eyes  of  Isabella,  his  long-suppressed  feelings  burst 
forth;  he  threw  himself  upon  his  knees,  and  for  some 


2/0  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

time  could  not  utter  a  word  for  the  violence  of  his  tears 
and  sobbings. 

Ferdinand  and  Isabella  raised  him  from  the  ground, 
and  endeavored  to  encourage  him  by  the  most  gracious 
expressions.  As  soon  as  he  regained  his  self-possession 
he  entered  into  an  eloquent  and  high-minded  vindication 
of  his  loyalty,  and  the  zeal  he  had  ever  felt  for  the  glory 
and  advantage  of  the  Spanish  crown  ;  if  at  any  time  he 
had  erred,  it  had  been,  he  said,  through  inexperience  in 
the  art  of  governing,  and  through  the  extraordinary  diffi 
culties  by  which  he  had  been  surrounded. 

There  was  no  need  of  vindication  on  his  part.  He 
stood  in  the  presence  of  his  sovereigns  a  deeply  injured 
man,  and  it  remained  for  them  to  vindicate  themselves 
to  the  world  from  the  charge  of  ingratitude  towards  their 
most  deserving  subject.  They  expressed  their  indigna 
tion  at  the  proceedings  of  Bobadilla,  which  they  disa 
vowed,  as  contrary  to  his  instructions  ;  they  promised 
that  he  should  be  immediately  dismissed  from  his  com 
mand,  and  Columbus  reinstated  in  all  his  privileges  and 
dignities,  and  indemnified  for  the  losses  he  had  sustained. 
The  latter  expected,  of  course,  to  be  immediately  sent 
back  in  triumph  to  San  Domingo,  as  Viceroy  and  Admiral 
of  the  Indies  ;  but  in  this  he  was  doomed  to  experience  a 
disappointment,  which  threw  a  gloom  over  the  remainder 
of  his  days.  The  fact  was  that  Ferdinand,  however  he 
may  have  disapproved  of  the  violence  of  Bobadilla,  was 
secretly  well  pleased  with  its  effects.  It  had  produced  a 
temporary  exclusion  of  Columbus  from  his  high  offices, 
and  the  politic  monarch  determined,  in  his  heart,  that  he 
should  never  be  restored  to  them.  He  had  long  repented 
having  vested  such  great  powers  and  prerogatives  in  any 
subject,  particularly  in  a  foreigner ;  but  at  the  time  of 
granting  them  he  had  no  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  coun- 


SELFISH  POLICY  OF  FERDINAND.  2/1 

tries  over  which  they  would  be  exercised.  Recent  dis 
coveries,  made  by  various  individuals,  showed  them  to  be 
almost  boundless.  Vicente  Yaftez  Pinzon,  one  of  the 
brave  and  intelligent  family  of  navigators  that  had  sailed 
with  Columbus  in  his  first,  voyage,  had  lately  crossed  the 
line,  and  explored  the  shores  of  the  southern  continent 
as  far  as  Cape  St.  Augustine.  Diego  Lepe,  another  bold 
navigator  of  Palos,  had  doubled  that  cape,  and  beheld 
the  continent  stretching  away  out  of  sight,  to  the  south 
west.  The  report  of  every  discoverer  put  it  beyond  a 
doubt  that  these  countries  must  be  inexhaustible  in 
wealth,  as  they  appeared  to  be  boundless  in  extent.  Yet 
over  all  these  Columbus  was  to  be  Viceroy,  with  a  share 
in  their  productions  and  the  profits  of  their  trade  that 
must  yield  him  an  incalculable  revenue.  The  selfish 
monarch  appeared  almost  to  consider  himself  outwitted 
in  the  arrangement  he  had  made ;  and  every  new  dis 
covery,  instead  of  increasing  his  feeling  of  gratitude  to 
Columbus,  seemed  only  to  make  him  repine  at  the  grow 
ing  magnitude  of  his  reward. 

Another  grand  consideration  with  the  monarch  was 
that  Columbus  was  no  longer  indispensable  to  him.  He 
had  made  his  great  discovery ;  he  had  struck  out  the 
route  to  the  New  World,  and  now  any  one  could  follow 
it.  A  number  of  able  navigators  had  sprung  up  under 
his  auspices,  who  were  daily  besieging  the  throne  with 
offers  to  fit  out  expeditions  at  their  own  cost,  and  to 
yield  a  share  of  the  profits  to  the  Crown.  Why  should 
he,  therefore,  confer  princely  dignities  and  prerogatives 
for  that  which  men  were  daily  offering  to  perform  gra 
tuitously  ? 

Such,  from  his  after  conduct,  appears  to  have  been  the 
jealous  and  selfish  policy  which  actuated  Ferdinand  in 
forbearing  to  reinstate  Columbus  in  those  dignities  and 


2/2  THE   LIFE   OF   COLUMBUS. 

privileges  which  had  been  solemnly  granted  to  him  by 
treaty,  and  which  it  was  acknowledged  he  had  never  for 
feited  by  misconduct.  Plausible  reasons,  however,  were 
given  for  delaying  his  reappointment.  It  was  observed, 
that  the  elements  of  those  factions  which  had  recently 
been  in  arms  yet  existed  in  the  island,  and  might  pro 
duce  fresh  troubles,  should  Columbus  return  immedi 
ately.  It  was  represented  as  advisable,  therefore,  to  send 
some  officer  of  talent  and  discretion  to  supersede  Boba- 
dilla,  and  to  hold  the  government  for  two  years,  by  which 
time  all  angry  passions  would  be  allayed  and  turbulent 
individuals  removed.  Columbus  might  then  resume  the 
command,  with  comfort  to  himself  and  advantage  to  the 
Crown.  With  this  arrangement  the  Admiral  was  obliged 
to  content  himself. 

The  person  chosen  to  supersede  Bobadilla  was  Don 
Nicholas  de  Ovando,  commander  of  Lares,  of  the  order 
of  Alcantara.  He  is  described  as  being  of  the  middle 
size,  with  a  fair  complexion,  a  red  beard,  a  modest  look, 
yet  a  tone  of  authority  ;  fluent  in  speech,  courteous  in 
manners,  prudent,  just,  temperate,  and  of  great  humility. 
Such  is  the  picture  drawn  of  him  by  some  of  his  contem 
poraries  ;  yet  he  appears,  from  his  actions,  to  have  been 
plausible  and  subtle,  as  well  as  fluent  and  courteous  ;  his 
humility  concealed  a  great  love  of  command  ;  he  was  a 
merciless  scourge  to  the  Indians,  and  in  his  dealings  with 
Columbus  he  was  both  ungenerous  and  unjust. 

While  the  departure  of  Ovando  was  delayed  by  vari 
ous  circumstances,  every  arrival  brought  intelligence  of 
the  disastrous  state  of  the  island,  under  the  administra 
tion  of  Bobadilla.  The  latter  was  not  so  much  a  bad,  as 
an  imprudent  and  a  weak,  man.  Imagining  rigorous  rule- 
to  be  the  rock  on  which  his  predecessor  had  split,  he  had 
at  the  very  outset  relaxed  the  reins  of  justice  and  moral- 


TYRANNY  OF  BOBADILLA.  2/3 

ity,  and,  of  course,  had  lost  all  command  over  the  commu 
nity.  In  a  little  while  such  disorder  and  licentiousness 
ensued  that  many,  even  of  the  opponents  of  Columbus, 
looked  back  with  regret  to  the  strict  but  wholesome 
rule  of  himself  and  the  adelantado. 

One  dangerous  indulgence  granted  to  the  colonists 
called  for  another,  and  each  was  ceded,  in  its  turn,  by 
Bobadilla.  He  sold  the  farms  and  estates  of  the  Crown 
at  low  prices,  and  granted  universal  permission  to  work 
the  mines,  on  paying  only  an  eleventh  of  the  produce  to 
government.  To  prevent  any  diminution  in  the  reve 
nues  it  became  necessary  to  increase  the  quantity  of  gold 
collected.  He  enforced,  therefore,  the  repartimientos, 
by  which  the  caciques  were  obliged  to  furnish  parties  of 
their  subjects  to  work  for  the  Spaniards  in  the  field  and 
in  the  mine.  To  carry  these  into  more  complete  effect 
he  made  an  enumeration  of  the  natives  of  the  island,  re 
duced  them  into  classes,  and  distributed  them,  according 
to  his  favor  or  caprice,  among  the  colonists.  His  con 
stant  exhortation  to  the  Spaniards  was,  to  produce  large 
quantities  of  gold.  "  Make  the  most  of  your  time,"  he 
would  say,  "  there  is  no  knowing  how  long  it  will  last," 
alluding  to  the  possibility  of  his  being  speedily  recalled. 
The  colonists  acted  up  to  his  advice,  and  so  hard  did 
they  drive  the  poor  natives  that  the  eleventh  yielded 
more  revenue  than  had  ever  been  produced  by  the  third, 
under  the  government  of  Columbus.  In  the  meantime, 
the  unhappy  Indians  sunk  under  the  toils  imposed  upon 
them,  and  the  severities  by  which  they  were  enforced. 
A  capricious  tyranny  was  exercised  over  them  by  worth 
less  men,  numbers  of  whom  had  been  transported  con 
victs  from  the  dungeons  of  Castile.  These  wretches  as 
sumed  the  tone  of  grand  cavaliers,  and  insisted  upon 
being  attended  by  trains  of  servants ;  they  took  the 
(18) 


274  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

daughters  and  female  relatives  of  caciques  for  their  ser. 
vants  or  their  concubines.  In  travelling,  they  obliged  the 
natives  to  transport  them  on  their  shoulders  in  litters 
or  hammocks,  while  others  held  umbrellas  of  palm  leaves 
over  their  heads,  and  cooled  them  with  fans  of  feathers. 
Sometimes  the  backs  and  shoulders  of  the  unfortunate 
Indians  who  bore  the  litters  were  raw  and  bleeding  from 
the  task.  When  these  arrogant  upstarts  arrived  at  an 
Indian  village  they  capriciously  seized  upon  and  lavished 
the  provisions  of  the  inhabitants,  and  obliged  the  cacique 
and  his  subjects  to  dance  for  their  amusement.  They 
never  addressed  the  natives  but  in  the  most  degrading 
terms  ;  and  for  the  least  offence,  or  in  a  mere  freak  of  ill- 
humor,  they  would  inflict  blows  and  lashes,  and  even 
death  itself. 

The  tidings  of  these  abuses  and  of  the  wrongs  of  the 
natives  grieved  the  spirit  of  Isabella,  and  induced  her  to 
urge  the  departure  of  Ovando.  He  was  empowered  to 
assume  the  command  immediately  on  his  arrival,  and 
to  send  home  Bobadilla  by  the  return  fleet.  Hispaniola 
was  to  be  the  metropolis  of  the  colonial  government, 
which  was  to  extend  over  the  islands  and  Terra  Firma. 
Ovando  was  to  correct  the  late  abuses,  to  revoke  the 
improper  licenses  granted  by  Bobadilla,  to  lighten  the 
burdens  imposed  upon  the  Indians,  and  to  promote  their 
religious  instruction.  He  was,  at  the  same  time,  to  as 
certain  the  injury  sustained  by  Columbus  in  his  late 
arrest  and  imprisonment,  and  the  arrears  of  revenue  that 
were  due  to  him,  that  he  might  receive  ample  redress  and 
compensation.  The  Admiral  was  to  be  allowed  a  resident 
agent  in  the  island  to  attend  to  his  affairs  and  guard  his 
interests,  to  which  office  Columbus  immediately  appoint 
ed  Alon/o  Sanchez  de  Carvajal. 

Amoim   various  decrees   on  this  occasion  we  find  the 


SAILING   OF  OVANDO.  2/5 

first  trace  of  negro  slavery  in  the  New  World.  It  was 
permitted  to  transport  to  the  colony  negro  slaves  born  in 
Spain,  the  children  and  descendants  of  natives  brought 
from  Guinea,  where  the  slave  trade  had  for  some  time 
been  carried  on  by  the  Spaniards  and  Portuguese. 
There  are  signal  events  in  the  course  of  history  which 
sometimes  bear  the  appearance  of  temporal  judgments. 
It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  observation  that  Hispaniola,  the 
place  where  this  flagrant  sin  against  nature  and  humanity 
was  first  introduced  into  the  New  World,  has  been  the 
first  to  exhibit  an  instance  of  awful  retribution. 

The  fleet  appointed  to  convey  Ovando  to  his  govern 
ment  put  to  sea  on  the  I3th  of  February,  1502.  It  was 
the  largest  armament  that  had  yet  sailed  to  the  New 
World,  consisting  of  thirty  sail,  of  various  sizes,  provided 
with  all  kinds  of  supplies  for  the  colony.  Twenty-five 
hundred  souls  embarked  in  this  fleet,  many  of  them  per 
sons  of  rank,  with  their  families.  Ovando  was  allowed  a 
brilliant  retinue,  a  body-guard  of  horsemen,  and  the  use 
of  silks,  brocades,  and  precious  stones,  at  that  time  for 
bidden  by  the  sumptuary  laws  of  Spain.  Such  was  the 
style  in  which  a  favorite  of  Ferdinand,  a  native  subject 
of  rank,  was  fitted  out  to  enter  upon  the  government 
withheld  from  Columbus. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

PROPOSITION     OF      COLUMBUS      FOR     A     CRUSADE. — HIS 
PREPARATIONS  FOR  A  FOURTH  VOYAGE.      [1500-150!.] 

COLUMBUS  remained  in  the  city  of  Granada  upwards 
of  nine  months,  awaiting  employment,  and  endeavoring 


2/6  THE    LIFE    0/<'   COLUMBUS. 

to  retrieve  his  affairs  from  the  confusion  into  which  they 
had  been  thrown.  During  this  gloomy  period  he  called 
to  mind  his  vow  to  furnish,  within  seven  years  from  the 
time  of  his  discovery  of  the  New  World,  an  army  of  fifty 
thousand  foot  and  five  thousand  horse  for  the  recovery 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  The  time  had  elapsed,  the  vow 
remained  unfulfilled,  and  the  expected  treasures  that  were 
to  pay  the  army  had  never  been  realized.  Destitute, 
therefore,  of  the  means  of  accomplishing  his  pious  pur 
pose,  he  considered  it  his  duty  to  incite  the  sovereigns 
to  the  enterprise  ;  and  he  felt  emboldened  to  do  so  from 
having  originally  proposed  it  as  the  great  object  to  which 
the  profits  of  his  discoveries  should  be  directed.  He 
set  to  work,  therefore,  with  his  accustomed  zeal,  to  pre 
pare  arguments  for  the  purpose.  Aided  by  a  Carthusian 
friar,  he  collected  into  a  manuscript  volume  all  the  pas 
sages  in  the  Sacred  Scriptures  and  in  the  writings  of  the 
Fathers  which  he  conceived  to  contain  mystic  portents 
and  prophecies  of  the  discovery  of  the  New  World,  the 
conversion  of  the  Gentiles,  and  the  recover)'  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre  ;  three  great  events  which  he  considered  des 
tined  to  succeed  each  other,  and  to  be  accomplished 
through  his  agency.  He  prepared,  at  the  same  time,  a 
long  letter  to  the  sovereigns,  written  with  his  usual  fervor 
of  spirit  and  simplicity  of  heart,  urging  them  to  set  on 
foot  a  crusade  for  the  conquest  of  Jerusalem.  It  is  a 
singular  composition,  which  lays  open  the  visionary  part 
of  his  character,  and  shows  the  mystic  and  speculative 
reading  with  which  he  was  accustomed  to  nurture  his 

i~> 

solemn  and  soaring  imagination.* 

It   must   be   recollected   that   this   was  a  scheme  medi- 

*  The  manuscript  volume,  including  the  letter,  still  exists  in  the  Colum 
bian  library  of  the  cathedral  of  Seville,  and  has  been  inspected  with  great 
interest  by  the  writer  of  this  history. 


RICHES   OF    THE  INDIES.  277 

tated  in  melancholy  and  enthusiastic  moods,  in  the  courts 
of  the  Alhambra,  among  the  splendid  remains  of  Moorish 
grandeur,  where,  but  a  few  years  before,  he  had  beheld 
the  standard  of  the  faith  elevated  in  triumph  above  the 
symbols  of  infidelity.  It  was  in  unison  with  the  temper 
of  the  times,  when  the  cross  and  sword  frequently  went 
together,  and  religion  was  made  the  pretext  for  the  most 
desolating  wars.  Whether  Columbus  ever  presented  this 
book  to  the  sovereigns  is  uncertain  ;  it  is  probable  that 
he  did  not,  as  his  thoughts  suddenly  returned,  with  re 
newed  ardor,  to  their  wonted  channels,  and  he  conceived 
a  leading  object  for  another  enterprise  of  discovery. 

Vasco  de  Gama  had  recently  accomplished  the  long- 
attempted  navigation  to  India  by  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  and  Pedro  Alvarez  Cabral,  following  in  his  track, 
had  returned  with  his  vessels  laden  with  the  precious 
merchandise  of  the  East.  The  riches  of  Calicut  were 
now  the  theme  of  every  tongue.  The  discoveries  of  the 
savage  regions  of  the  New  World  had  as  yet  brought  but 
little  revenue  to  Spain,  but  this  route  to  the  East  Indies 
was  pouring  in  immediate  wealth  on  Portugal. 

Columbus  was  roused  to  emulation,  and  trusted  he 
could  discover  a  route  to  those  oriental  regions  more 
easy  and  direct  than  that  of  Vasco  de  Gama.  Accord 
ing  to  his  own  observations,  and  the  reports  of  other 
navigators,  the  coast  of  Terra  Firma  stretched  far  to  the 
westward.  The  southern  coast  of  Cuba,  which  he  con 
sidered  a  part  of  the  Asiatic  continent,  stretched  onward 
towards  the  same  point.  The  currents  of  the  Caribbean 
Sea  must  pass  between  these  lands.  He  was  persuaded, 
therefore,  that  a  strait  must  exist  somewhere  thereabout, 
opening  into  the  Indian  Sea.  The  situation  in  which  he 
placed  his  conjectural  strait  was  somewhere  about  what 
is  at  present  called  the  Isthmus  of  Darien.  Could  he 


2/8  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

but  discover  such  a  passage,  and  thus  link  the  New  World 
he  had  discovered  with  the  opulent  oriental  countries  of 
the  old,  he  felt  that  he  should  make  a  magnificent  close 
to  his  labors. 

He  unfolded  his  plan  to  the  sovereigns,  and,  though  it 
met  with  some  narrow-minded  opposition  on  the  part  of 
certain  of  the  royal  counsellors,  it  was  promptly  adopted, 
and  he  was  empowered  to  fit  out  an  armament  to  carry  it 
into  effect.  He  accordingly  departed  for  Seville  in  the 
autumn  of  1501  to  make  the  necessary  preparations;  but 
such  were  the  delays  caused  by  the  artifices  of  Fonseca 
and  his  agents,  that  it  was  not  until  the  following  month 
of  May  that  he  was  able  to  put  to  sea. 

Before  sailing,  he  took  measures  to  provide  against 
any  misfortune  that  might  happen  to  himself  in  so  distant 
and  perilous  an  expedition.  He  caused  copies  to  be 
made  and  authenticated  of  all  the  royal  letters  patent  of 
his  dignities  and  privileges;  of  his  letter  to  the  nurse  of 
Prince  Juan,  containing  a  vindication  of  his  conduct ;  and 
of  two  letters  assigning  to  the  Bank  of  St.  George,  at 
Genoa,  a  tenth  of  his  revenues  to  be  employed  in  dimin 
ishing  the  duties  on  provisions  in  his  native  city.  These 
two  sets  of  documents  he  sent  by  different  hands  to  his 
friend,  Doctor  Nicolo  Odorigo,  who  had  been  Genoese 
ambassador  to  the  court  of  Spain,  requesting  him  to  de 
posit  them  in  some  safe  place  at  Genoa,  and  to  apprise 
his  son  Diego  of  the  same. 

He  wrote  also  to  Pope  Alexander  the  Seventh,  men 
tioning  his  vow  to  furnish  an  army  for  a  crusade,  but 
informing  him  of  his  being  prevented  from  fulfilling  it 
by  being  divested  of  his  government.  He  promised  his 
Holiness,  however,  on  his  return  from  his  present  voyage 
to  repair  immediately  to  Rome,  and  render  him  an  ac 
count  of  all  his  expeditions. 


THE  FOURTH    VOYAGE.  279 


.   CHAPTER  XXXVIL 

COLUMBUS  SAILS  ON  HIS  FOURTH  VOYAGE. — EVENTS  AT 
THE  ISLAND  OF  HISPANIOLA. — HIS  SEARCH  AFTER 
AN  IMAGINARY  STRAIT.  [1502.] 

AGE  was  rapidly  making  its  advances  upon  Columbus 
when  he  undertook  his  fourth  voyage  of  discovery.  He 
was  now  about  sixty-six  years  old.  His  constitution, 
originally  vigorous  in  the  extreme,  had  been  impaired  by 
hardships  and  exposures  in  every  clime,  and  by  the  men 
tal  sufferings  he  had  undergone.  His  intellectual  powers 
alone  retained  their  wonted  energy,  prompting  him,  at 
a  period  of  life  when  most  men  seek  repose,  to  sally  forth 
with  youthful  ardor  on  the  most  toilsome  and  adventur 
ous  of  enterprises.  In  this  arduous  voyage  he  was  ac 
companied  by  his  brother  Don  Bartholomew,  who  com 
manded  one  of  the  vessels,  and  by  his  son  Fernando, 
then  in  his  fourteenth  year. 

Columbus  sailed  from  Cadiz  on  the  Qth  of  May,  1502. 
His  squadron  consisted  of  four  caravels,  the  largest  of 
but  seventy  tons  burden,  the  smallest  of  fifty ;  the  crews 
amounted  in  all  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  men.  With 
this  little  armament  and  these  slender  barks  he  under 
took  the  search  after  a  strait,  which,  if  found,  must  con 
duct  him  into  the  most  remote  seas,  and  lead  to  a  com 
plete  circumnavigation  of  the  globe.  After  touching  at 
the  Canaries,  he  had  a  prosperous  voyage  to  the  Caribbee 
Islands,  arriving  on  the  I5th  of  June  at  Mantinino,  at 
present  called  Martinique.  He  had  originally  intended 
to  steer  to  Jamaica,  and  from  thence  for  the  continent, 
in  search  of  the  supposed  strait ;  but  one  of  his  vessels 


28O  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

proving  a  dull  sailer,  he  bore  away  for  Hispaniola  to  ex 
change  it  for  one  of  the  fleet  which  had  recently  taken 
out  Ovando.  This  was  contrary  to  his  orders,  which  had 
expressly  forbidden  him  to  touch  at  Hispaniola  until  his 
return  homewards,  lest  his  presence  should  cause  some 
agitation  in  the  island  ;  he  trusted,  however,  the  circum 
stances  of  the  case  would  plead  his  excuse. 

Columbus  arrived  off  the  harbor  of  San  Domingo  at  an 
unpropitious  moment.  The  place  \vas  filled  with  the 
most  virulent  of  his  enemies,  many  of  whom  were  in  a 
high  state  of  exasperation  from  recent  proceedings  which 
had  taken  place  against  them.  The  fleet  which  had 
brought  out  Ovando  lay  in  the  harbor,  ready  to  put  to 
sea;  and  was  to  take  out  Roldan,  and  many  of  his  late 
adherents,  some  of  whom  were  under  arrest,  and  to  be 
tried  in  Spain.  Bobadilla  was  to  embark  in  the  principal 
ship,  on  board  of  which  he  had  put  an  immense  amount 
of  gold,  the  revenue  collected  for  the  government  during 
his  administration,  and  which  he  confidently  expected 
would  atone  for  all  his  faults.  Among  the  presents  he 
intended  for  the  sovereigns  was  one  mass  of  virgin  gold, 
which  is  famous  in  the  old  Spanish  chronicles.  It  was 
said  to  weigh  three  thousand  six  hundred  castillanos. 
Large  quantities  of  gold  had  also  been  shipped  in  the 
fleet  by  the  followers  of  Roldan,  and  other  adventurers  ; 
the  wealth  gained  by  the  sufferings  of  the  unhappy 
natives. 

It  was  on  the  29th  of  June  that  Columbus  arrived  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  sent  an  officer  on  shore  to 
explain  to  the  governor  the  purpose  of  his  visit ;  he  re 
quested  permission,  moreover,  to  shelter  his  squadron  in 
the  river,  as  he  apprehended  an  approaching  storm.  1 1  is 
request  was  refused  by  Ovando,  who  probably  had  orders 
from  the  sovereigns  to  that  effect,  and  perhaps  was  fur- 


AT   THE  MERCY  OF    THE   STORM.  28 1 

ther  swayed  by  prudent  considerations.  Columbus  then 
sent  a  second  message,  entreating  that  the  sailing  of  the 
fleet  might  be  delayed,  as  there  were  indubitable  signs  of 
an  approaching  tempest.  This  request  was  as  fruitless 
as  the  preceding ;  the  weather,  to  an  inexperienced  eye, 
was  fair  and  tranquil,  and  the  warning  of  the  Admiral 
was  treated  with  ridicule,  as  the  prediction  of  a  false 
prophet. 

Columbus  retired  from  the  river,  indignant  at  being 
denied  relief  and  refused  shelter  in  the  very  island  which 
he  had  discovered.  His  crew  murmured  loudly  at  being 
excluded  from  a  port  of  their  own  nation,  where  even 
strangers,  under  similar  circumstances,  would  be  admitted  ; 
and  they  repined  at  having  embarked  with  a  commander 
who  was  liable  to  such  treatment.  Columbus,  feeling  con 
fident  that  a  storm  was  at  hand,  kept  his  feeble  squadron 
close  to  shore,  and  sought  for  shelter  in  some  wild  bay  or 
river  of  the  island. 

In  the  meantime  the  fleet  of  Bobadilla  set  sail  from 
San  Domingo,  and  stood  out  confidently  to  sea.  Within 
two  days  the  predictions  of  Columbus  were  verified. 
One  of  those  tremendous  storms  which  sometimes  sweep 
those  latitudes  had  gradually  gathered  up  and  begun  to 
blow.  The  little  squadron  of  Columbus  remained  for  a 
time  tolerably  well  sheltered  by  the  land,  but  the  tempest 
increasing  and  the  night  coming  on,  with  unusual  dark 
ness,  the  ships  lost  sight  of  each  other  and  were  separated. 
The  Admiral  still  kept  close  to  the  shore,  and  sustained 
no  damage.  The  three  other  vessels  ran  out  for  sea-room, 
and  for  several  days  were  driven  about  at  the  mercy  of 
wind  and  wave,  fearful  each  moment  of  shipwreck,  and 
giving  up  each  other. as  lost.  The  adelantado,  who  com 
manded  the  worst  vessel  of  the  squadron,  ran  the  most 
imminent  hazard,  and  nothing  but  his  consummate  sea- 


282  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

manship  enabled  him  to  keep  her  afloat ;  he  lost  his  long 
boat,  and  all  the  other  vessels  sustained  more  or  less 
injury.  At  length,  after  various  vicissitudes,  they  all  ar 
rived  safe  at  Port  Hermoso,  to  the  west  of  San  Domingo. 

A  different  fate  befell  the  other  armament.  The  ship 
on  board  of  which  were  Bobadilla,  Roldan,  and  a  number 
of  the  most  inveterate  enemies  of  Columbus,  was  swal 
lowed  up  with  all  its  crew,  and  with  the  celebrated  mass 
of  gold,  and  the  principal  part  of  the  ill-gotten  treasure 
gained  by  the  miseries  of  the  Indians.  Many  of  the  other 
ships  were  entirely  lost,  some  returned  to  San  Domingo 
in  shattered  condition,  and  only  one  was  enabled  to  con 
tinue  her  voyage  to  Spain.  That  one,  it  is  said,  was  the 
weakest  of  the  fleet,  and  had  on  board  of  it  four  thousand 
pieces  of  gold,  the  property  of  the  Admiral,  remitted  to 
Spain  by  his  agent  Carvajal.  Both  Fernando  Columbus 
and  the  venerable  historian  Las  Casas  looked  upon  this 
event  as  one  of  those  awful  judgments  which  seem  at 
times  to  deal  forth  temporal  retribution.  They  notice 
the  circumstance  that,  while  the  enemies  of  the  Admiral 
were  thus,  as  it  were,  before  his  eyes,  swallowed  up  in  the 
raging  sea,  the  only  ship  enabled  to  pursue  her  voyage 
was  the  frail  bark  freighted  with  his  property.  Many  of 
the  superstitious  seamen,  who,  from  the  sagacity  displayed 
by  Columbus  in  judging  of  the  signs  of  the  elements  and 
his  variety  of  scientific  knowledge,  looked  upon  him  as 
endowed  with  supernatural  powers,  fancied  he  had  con 
jured  up  this  storm  by  magic  spells  for  the  destruction  of 
his  enemies.  The  evils  in  this,  as  in  most  of  the  cases 
called  temporal  judgments,  overwhelmed  the  innocent 
with  the  guilty.  In  the  same  ship  with  Bobadilla  and 
Roldan  perished  the  captive  Guarionex,  the  unfortunate 
cacique  of  the  vega. 

After  repairing  the  damages  sustained   by  his  ships  in 


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284  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

the  storm,  Columbus  steered  for  Terra  Firma ;  but  the 
weather  falling  perfectly  calm,  he  was  swept  away  to  the 
northwest  by  the  currents,  until  he  arrived  on  the  south 
ern  coast  of  Cuba.  The  wind  springing  up  fair,  he  re 
sumed  his  course,  and  standing  to  the  southwest,  was 
enabled,  on  the  3Oth  of  July,  to  make  the  island  of  Gua- 
naga,  a  few  leagues  distant  from  the  coast  of  Honduras. 
While  the  adelantado  was  on  shore  at  this  island  a  canoe 
arrived,  of  an  immense  size,  on  board  of  which  sat  a  ca 
cique  with  his  wives  and  children,  under  an  awning  of 
palm  leaves.  The  canoe  was  paddled  by  twenty-five  In 
dians,  and  freighted  with  various  merchandise,  the  rude 
manufactures  and  natural  productions  of  the  adjacent 
countries.  There  were  hatchets  and  other  utensils  of 
copper,  with  a  kind  of  crucible  for  the  melting  of  that 
metal.  Various  vessels  neatly  formed  of  clay,  marble, 
and  hard  wood  ;  mantles  of  cotton,  worked  and  dyed  with 
various  colors,  and  many  other  articles  which  indicated  a 
superior  degree  of  art  and  civilization  than  had  hitherto 
been  discovered  in  the  New  World. 

The  Indians,  as  far  as  they  could  be  understood,  in 
formed  the  Admiral  that  they  had  come  from  a  country 
rich,  cultivated,  and  industrious,  situated  to  the  west,  and 
urged  him  to  steer  in  that  direction.  Well  would  it 
have  been  for  Columbus  had  he  followed  their  advice. 
Within  a  day  or  two  he  would  have  arrived  at  Yucatan  ; 
the  discovery  of  Mexico  and  the  other  opulent  countries 
of  New  Spain  would  have  necessarily  followed,  the 
Southern  Ocean  would  have  been  disclosed  to  him,  and 
a  succession  of  splendid  discoveries  would  have  shed 
fresh  glory  on  his  declining  age,  instead  of  its  sinking 
amidst  gloom,  neglect,  and  disappointment. 

The  Admiral's  whole  mind,  however,  was  at  present 
intent  upon  discovering  the  supposed  strait  that  was  to 


COASTING  ALONG  CAPE  HONDURAS.  285 

lead  him  to  the  Indian  Ocean.  He  stood,  therefore, 
southwardly  for  some  mountains  which  he  descried  not 
many  leagues  distant,  made  Cape  Honduras,  and  from 
thence  proceeded  eastwardly,  beating  against  contrary 
winds,  and  struggling  with  the  currents  which  sweep  that 
coast.  There  was  an  almost  incessant  tempest,  with 
heavy  rain  and  awful  thunder  and  lightning.  His  vessels 
were  strained  so  that  their  seams  opened,  the  sails  and 
rigging  were  rent,  and  the  provisions  damaged  by  the 
rain  and  the  leakage.  The  sailors  were  exhausted  with 
fatigue  and  harassed  with  terror.  Several  times  they 
confessed  their  sins  to  each  other,  and  prepared  for 
death.  During  a  great  part  of  this  time  Columbus  suf 
fered  extremely  from  the  gout,  and  his  complaint  was 
aggravated  by  watchfulness  and  anxiety.  His  illness  did 
not  prevent  his  attending  to  his  duties  ;  he  had  a  small 
cabin  or  roundhouse  constructed  on  the  stern,  from 
whence,  even  when  confined  to  his  bed,  he  could  keep  a 
lookout,  and  regulate  the  sailing  of  the  ships.  Many 
times  he  was  so  ill  that  he  thought  his  end  approaching, 
and  his  anxious  mind  was  distressed  at  the  thoughts 
that  his  brother,  Don  Bartholomew,  and  his  son  Fer 
nando  were  exposed  to  the  same  dangers  and  hardships. 
Often,  too,  his  thoughts  reverted  to  his  son  Diego,  and 
the  cares  and  misfortunes  into  which  his  death  might 
plunge  him.  At  length,  after  struggling  for  upwards  of 
forty  days  to  make  a  distance  of  about  seventy  leagues, 
he  arrived,  on  the  I4th  of  September,  at  a  cape  where  the 
coast  made  a  sudden  bend,  and  turned  directly  south. 
Doubling  this  cape,  he  had  immediately  an  easy  wind, 
and  swept  off  with  flowing  sail,  in  consequence  of  which 
he  gave  it  the  name  of  Gracias  a  Dtos,  or,  Thanks  to 
God. 

For  three  weeks  he  continued  coasting  what  is  at  pres- 


286  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

ent  called  the  Mosquito  shore,  in  the  course  of  which  a 
boat  with  its  crew  was  swallowed  up  by  the  sudden  swell 
ing  of  a  river.  He  had  occasional  interviews  with  the 
natives,  but  a  mutual  distrust  prevailed  between  them  and 
the  Spaniards.  The  Indians  were  frightened  at  seeing  a 
notary  of  the  fleet  take  out  pen,  ink,  and  paper,  and  pro 
ceed  to  write  down  the  information  they  were  communi 
cating  ;  they  supposed  he  was  working  some  magic  spell, 
and  to  counteract  it  they  scattered  a  fragrant  powder  in 
the  air,  and  burnt  it,  so  that  the  smoke  should  be  borne 
towards  the  Spaniards.  The  superstitious  seamen  looked 
upon  these  counter  charms  with  equal  distrust.  They 
suspected  the  people  of  this  coast  to  be  great  enchanters, 
and  that  all  the  delays  and  hardships  they  had  experi 
enced  were  in  consequence  of  the  ships  being  under  some 
evil  spell  wrought  by  their  magic  arts.  Even  Columbus 
and  his  son  and  historian  Fernando  appear  to  have  been 
tinctured  with  this  superstition,  which,  indeed,  is  char 
acteristic  of  the  age. 

On  the  5th  of  October  Columbus  arrived  at  what  is  at 
present  called  Costa  Rica  (or,  the  Rich  Coast),  from  the 
gold  and  silver  mines  found  in  after  years  among  its 
mountains.  Here  he  began  to  find  ornaments  of  pure 
gold  among  the  natives.  These  increased  in  quantity 
when  he  came  to  what  has  since  been  called  the  coast 
of  Veragua,  where  he  was  assured  that  the  richest  mines 
were  to  be  found.  In  sailing  along  these  coasts  he  re 
ceived  repeated  accounts  of  a  great  kingdom  in  the  west, 
called  Ciguare,  at  the  distance  of  several  days'  journey, 
where,  as  far  as  he  could  understand  the  imperfect 
explanations  of  his  interpreters,  the  inhabitants  wore 
crowns  and  bracelets  and  anklets  of  gold,  and  employed 
it  in  embroidering  their  garments  and  ornamenting  and 
embcwsing  their  furniture.  They  were  armed  also,  like 


288  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

the  Spaniards,  with  swords,  bucklers,  and  cuirasses,  and 
were  mounted  on  horses.  The  country  was  described 
also  as  being  commercial,  with  seaports,  in  which  ships 
arrived  armed  with  cannon.  Above  all,  Columbus  under 
stood  that  the  sea  continued  round  to  this  kingdom  of 
Ciguare,  and  that  ten  days  beyond  it  was  the  Ganges. 

These  were  evidently  rumors  of  the  distant  kingdom  of 
Mexico,  imperfectly  interpreted  to  Columbus,  and  shaped 
and  colored  by  his  imagination.  He  concluded  that  this 
country  must  be  some  province  belonging  to  the  Grand 
Khan,  and  must  lie  on  the  opposite  side  of  a  peninsula, 
and  that  he  would  soon  arrive  at  a  strait  leading  into  the 
Indian  Sea,  which  washed  its  shores.  The  supposed 
vicinity  of  the  Ganges  caused  no  surprise,  as  he  had 
adopted  the  opinion  of  certain  ancient  philosophers  who 
gave  the  world  a  smaller  circumference  than  was  gener 
ally  imagined,  and  but  fifty-six  miles  and  two-thirds  to  a 
degree  of  the  equinoctial  line. 

With  these  erroneous  but  ingenious  ideas,  Columbus 
continued  to  press  forward  in  search  of  the  imaginary 
strait,  contending  with  adverse  winds  and  currents,  and 
meeting  with  great  hostility  from  the  natives;  for  the 
Indians  of  these  coasts  were  fierce  and  warlike,  and  many 
of  the  tribes  are  supposed  to  have  been  of  Carib  origin. 
At  sight  of  the  ships  the  forests  would  resound  with  yells 
and  war-whoops,  with  wooden  drums,  and  the  blasts  of 
conchs,  and  on  landing  the  shores  would  be  lined  with 
savage  warriors,  armed  with  clubs  and  lances,  and  swords 
of  palm  wood. 

At  length,  having  discovered  and  named  Puerto  Bello, 
and  continued  beyond  Cape  Nombre  dc  Dios,  Columbus 
arrived  at  a  small  and  narrow  harbor,  to  which  he  gave 
the  name  of  111  Retrctc,  or  The  Cabinet.  Here  he  had 
reached  the  point  to  which  Bastides,  an  enterprising 


SET  OUT  FOR    VERAGUA.  289 

voyager,  coasting  from  the  eastward,  had  recently  ex 
plored.  Whether  Columbus  knew  or  not  of  the  voyage 
of  this  discoverer  does  not  clearly  appear,  but  here  he 
was  induced  to  give  up  all  further  attempt  to  find  the 
strait.  The  seamen  were  disheartened  by  the  constant 
opposition  of  the  winds  and  currents,  and  by  the  con 
dition  of  the  ships,  which  were  pierced  in  all  parts  by  the 
teredo  or  worm  so  destructive  in  the  tropical  seas.  They 
considered  themselves  still  under  an  evil  spell,  worked 
by  the  Indian  sorcerers,  and  the  commanders  remon 
strated  against  forcing  their  way  any  farther  in  spite  of 
the  elements,  with  ships  so  crazed  and  leaky.  Columbus 
yielded  to  their  solicitations  and  determined  to  return  to 
the  coast  of  Veragua,  and  search  for  the  mines  which 
were  said  to  abound  there. 

Here,  then,  ended  the  lofty  anticipations  which  had 
elevated  him  above  all  mercenary  views  in  his  struggle 
along  these  perilous  coasts,  and  had  given  a  heroic  char 
acter  to  the  early  part  of  his  voyage.  It  is  true,  he 
had  been  in  pursuit  of  a  mere  chimera,  but  it  was  the 
chimera  of  a  splendid  imagination  and  a  penetrating 
judgment.  The  subsequent  discovery  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  bathing  the  opposite  shores  of  that  narrow  isth 
mus,  has  proved  that  a  great  part  of  his  theory  was  well 
founded. 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

RETURN   TO   THE   COAST  OF  VERAGUA. — CONTESTS  WITH 
THE   NATIVES.      [1502.] 

ON    the   5th    of  December  Columbus  sailed    from   El 
Retrete,  to  return  westward  in   search  of  the  gold  mines 
of  Veragua.     He  had  not  proceeded  far,  however,  when 
19 


THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

the  wind  suddenly  veered  to  the  west,  the  point  from 
whence,  for  three  months,  he  had  been  wishing  it  to 
blow,  but  from  whence  it  now  came  only  to  contradict 
him.  In  a  little  while  it  became  so  variable  and  furious 
as  to  baffle  all  seamanship.  For  nine  days  the  vessels 
were  tossed  about  at  the  mercy  of  a  raging  tempest,  in 
an  unknown  sea,  and  often  exposed  to  the  awful  perils 
of  a  lee  shore.  The  sea,  according  to  the  description  of 
Columbus,  boiled  at  times  like  a  a  caldron  ;  at  other 
times  it  ran  in  mountain  waves,  covered  with  foam.  At 
night,  the  raging  billows  sparkled  with  luminous  parti 
cles  which  made  them  resemble  great  surges  of  flame. 
For  a  day  and  a  night  the  heavens  glowed  like  a  furnace, 
with  incessant  flashes  of  lightning  ;  while  the  loud  claps 
of  thunder  were  often  mistaken  by  the  mariners  for 
signal  guns  of  distress  from  their  foundering  compan 
ions.  During  the  whole  time  there  was  such  a  deluge 
of  rain  that  the  seamen  were  almost  drowned  in  their 
open  vessels. 

In  the  midst  of  this  wild  tumult  of  the  elements  they 
beheld  a  new  object  of  alarm.  The  ocean  in  one  place 
became  strangely  agitated.  The  water  was  whirled  up 
into  a  kind  of  pyramid  or  cone,  while  a  livid  cloud,  ta 
pering  to  a  point,  bent  down  to  meet  it.  Joining  to 
gether,  they  formed  a  column,  which  rapidly  approached 
the  ships,  spinning  along  the  surface  of  the  deep,  and 
drawing  up  the  waters  with  a  rushing  sound.  The  af 
frighted  mariners,  when  they  beheld  this  waterspout 
advancing  towards  them,  despaired  of  averting  it  by 
human  means,  and  began  to  repeat  certain  passages  from 
St.  John  the  Evangelist.  The  waterspout  passed  close 
by  their  ships  without  injuring  them,  and  they  attributed 
their  escape  to  the  miraculous  efficacy  of  their  quotations 
from  the  Scriptures. 


ARRIVAL  AT    VERAGUA.  2QI 

An  interval  of  calm  succeeded,  but  even  this  afforded 
but  little  consolation  to  the  tempest-tost  mariners;  they 
looked  upon  it  as  deceitful,  and  beheld  with  alarm  great 
numbers  of  sharks,  so  abundant  and  ravenous  in  those 
latitudes,  roaming  about  the  ships.  Among  the  supersti 
tions  of  the  seas  is  the  belief  that  these  voracious  fish 
have  not  only  the  faculty  of  smelling  dead  bodies  at  a 
distance,  but  have  a  presentiment  of  their  prey,  and  keep 
about  vessels  which  have  sick  persons  on  board,  or  which 
are  in  danger  of  being  wrecked. 

For  three  weeks  longer  they  continued  to  be  driven  to 
and  fro  by  changeable  and  tempestuous  winds,  endeavor 
ing  to  make  a  distance  of  merely  thirty  leagues,  inso 
much  that  Columbus  gave  this  line  of  seaboard  the  name 
of  La  Costa  de  los  Contrastes,  or  the  Coast  of  Contra 
dictions.  At  length,  to  his  great  joy,  he  arrived  on  the 
day  of  Epiphany  (the  6th  of  January)  on  the  coast  of 
Veragua,  and  anchored  in  a  river,  to  which,  in  honor  of 
the  day,  he  gave  the  name  of  Belen  or  Bethlehem. 

The  natives  of  the  neighborhood  manifested  the  same 
fierce  and  warlike  character  that  generally  prevailed 
along  this  coast.  They  were  soon  conciliated,  however, 
and  brought  many  ornaments  of  fine  gold  to  traffic ;  but 
assured  the  Admiral  that  the  mines  lay  near  the  river 
Veragua,  which  was  about  two  leagues  distant.  The  ade- 
lantado  had  an  interview  with  Quibian,  the  cacique  of 
Veragua,  who  afterwards  visited  the  ships.  He  was  a 
stern  warrior,  of  tall  and  powerful  frame,  and  taciturn 
and  cautious  character.  A  few  days  afterwards  the  ade- 
lantado,  attended  by  sixty-eight  men  well  armed,  pro 
ceeded  to  explore  the  Veragua,  and  seek  its  reputed 
mines.  They  ascended  the  river  about  a  league  and  a 
half,  to  the  village  of  Quibian,  which  was  situated  on  a 
hill.  The  cacique  descended  with  a  numerous  train  of 


.  I 

w 

U       v 

21 

6    * 


5 

E  g 
£:  ^ 
5  « 

•j 


FINDING   GOLD.  293 

his  subjects,  unarmed,  and  took  his  seat  on  a  great  stone, 
which  one  of  his  attendants  drew  out  of  the  river.  He 
received  his  guests  with  courtesy,  for  the  lofty,  vigor 
ous,  and  iron  form  of  the  adelantado,  and  his  resolute 
demeanor,  were  calculated  to  inspire  awe  and  respect  in 
an  Indian  warrior.  Though  his  jealousy  was  evidently 
awakened  by  the  intrusion  of  the  Spaniards  into  his  ter 
ritories,  yet  he  readily  furnished  Don  Bartholomew  with 
guides  to  conduct  him  to  the  mines.  These  guides  led 
the  adelantado  and  his  men  about  six  leagues  into  the 
interior,  among  thick  forests  of  lofty  and  magnificent 
trees,  where  they  told  them  the  mines  were  situated.  In 
fact,  the  whole  soil  appeared  to  be  impregnated  with  gold, 
and  the  Spaniards  collected  a  considerable  quantity  from 
the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  from  among  the  roots  of  the 
trees.  From  hence  the  adelantado  was  conducted  to 
the  summit  of  a  high  hill,  which  overlooked  an  immense 
extent  of  country,  with  various  villages,  and  the  guides 
assured  him  that  the  whole  land,  to  the  distance  of 
twenty  days'  journey  westward,  abounded  in  gold. 

Another  expedition  of  Don  Bartholomew  along  the 
coast,  westward,  was  equally  satisfactory ;  and  the  re 
ports  which  he  brought  of  golden  tracts  of  country,  to 
gether  with  the  rumors  of  a  rich  and  civilized  kingdom 
in  the  interior,  and  the  erroneous  idea  with  respect  to 
the  vicinity  of  the  Ganges,  all  concurred  to  produce  a 
new  illusion  in  the  ardent  mind  of  Columbus.  He  fan 
cied  that  he  had  actually  arrived  at  the  Aurea  Cherso- 
nesus,  from  whence,  according  to  Josephus,  the  gold  had 
been  procured  for  the  building  of  the  temple  of  Jerusa 
lem.  Here,  then,  was  a  place  at  which  to  found  a  col 
ony  and  establish  a  mart,  which  should  become  an  em 
porium  of  the  wealth  of  a  vast  region  of  mines.  His 
brother,  Don  Bartholomew,  concurred  with  him  in  opin- 


294  THE   LIPE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

ion,  and  agreed  to  remain  here  with  the  greater  part  of 
the  people,  while  the  Admiral  should  return  to  Spain  for 
supplies  and  reinforcements. 

They  immediately  proceeded  to  carry  their  plan  into 
operation.  Eighty  men  were  selected  to  remain.  Houses 
of  wood,  thatched  with  palm  leaves,  were  erected  on  the 
high  bank  of  a  creek,  about  a  bowshot  within  the  mouth 
of  the  river  Belen.  A  storehouse  was  built  to  receive 
part  of  the  ammunition,  artillery,  and  stores  ;  the  rest 
was  put  on  board  of  one  of  the  caravels,  which  was  to 
be  left  for  the  use  of  the  colony. 

The  houses  being  sufficiently  finished  to  be  habitable, 
the  Admiral  prepared  for  his  departure,  when  he  found, 
to  his  surprise,  that  the  river,  which  on  his  arrival  had 
been  swollen  by  rain,  had  subsided  to  such  a  degree 
that  there  was  not  above  half  a  fathom  of  water  on  the 
bar.  Though  his  vessels  were  small,  it  was  impossible  to 
draw  them  over  the  sands  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  on 
account  of  a  heavy  surf.  He  was  obliged,  therefore,  to 
wait  until  the  rains  should  again  swell  the  river. 

In  the  meantime  Quibian  beheld  with  secret  indigna 
tion  these  strangers  intruding  themselves  into  his  domin 
ions.  Columbus  had  sought  to  secure  his  friendship  by 
various  presents,  but  in  vain.  The  cacique,  ignorant  of 
the  vast  superiority  of  the  Europeans  in  the  art  of  war, 
thought  it  easy  to  overwhelm  and  destroy  them.  He 
sent  messengers  around,  and  ordered  all  his  fighting  men 
to  assemble  at  his  residence,  under  pretext  of  making 
war  upon  a  neighboring  province.  The  movements  of 
the  Indians  awakened  the  suspicions  of  one  Diego  Men- 
dez,  chief  notary  of  the  armament.  He  was  a  man  of 
zeal  and  spirit,  of  a  shrewd  and  prying  character,  and 
entirely  devoted  to  the  Admiral.  He  mingled  among 
the  Indians,  and  observed  circumstances  which  satisfied 


SUSPICIONS  OF  MENDEZ. 


him  that  they  were 
meditating  an  attack. 
The  Admiral  was  loth 
to  believe  it,  and  was 
desirous  of  clearer  in 
formation  before  he 
took  any  step  that 
might  interrupt  the 
pacific  intercourse 
that  yet  prevailed. 
The  indefatigable 
Mendez  now  under 
took  a  service  of  life 
and  death.  Accom 
panied  by  a  single 
companion,  he  pene 
trated  as  a  spy  to  the 
very  residence  of  Qui- 
bian,  who,  they  heard, 
had  been  wounded  in 
the  leg  by  an  arrow. 
Mendez  gave  himself 
out  as  a  surgeon  come 
to  cure  the  wound,  and 
made  his  way  to  the 
mansion  of  the  grim 
warrior,  which  was  sit 
uated  on  the  crest  of 
a  hill,  and  surrounded 
by  three  hundred 
heads,  on  stakes — dis 
mal  trophies  of  the 
enemies  he  had  vanquished  in  battle.  Undismayed  by 
this  sight,  Mendez  endeavored  to  enter,  but  was  met  at 


A    CACIQUE. 
Redrawn  from  Inga's  "  West  Indische  Spieghel" 


2g  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

the  threshold  by  the  son  of  the  cacique,  who  repulsed 
him  with  a  violent  blow  that  made  him  recoil  several 
paces.  He  managed  to  pacify  the  furious  young  savage 
by  taking  out  a  box  of  ointment,  and  assuring  him  that  he 
only  came  for  the  purpose  of  curing  his  father's  wounds. 
He  then  made  him  presents  of  a  comb,  scissors,  and  mir 
ror,  taught  him  and  his  Indians  the  use  of  them  in  cut 
ting  and  arranging  their  hair,  and  thus  ingratiated  him 
self  with  them  by  administering  to  their  vanity.  It  was 
impossible,  however,  to  gain  admittance  to  the  cacique; 
but  Mendez  saw  enough  to  convince  him  that  the  at 
tack  was  about  to  be  carried  into  effect,  and  that  it  was 
merely  delayed  by  the  wound  of  the  cacique;  he  has 
tened  back,  therefore,  to  Columbus  with  the  intelligence. 

An  Indian  interpreter,  a  native  of  the  neighborhood, 
corroborated  the  report  of  Mendez.  He  informed  the 
Admiral  that  Quibian  intended  to  come  secretly,  in  the 
dead  of  the  night,  with  all  his  warriors,  to  set  fire  to 
the  ships  and  houses,  and  massacre  the  Spaniards. 

When  the  adelantado  heard  of  this  plot  he  conceived 
a  counterplot  to  defeat  it,  which  he  carried  into  effect 
with  his  usual  promptness  and  resolution.  Taking  with 
him  seventy-four  men,  well  armed,  among  whom  was 
Diego  Mendez,  and  being  accompanied  by  the  Indian  in 
terpreter  who  had  revealed  the  conspiracy,  he  set  off  in 
boats  to  the  mouth  of  the  Veragua,  ascended  it  rapidly, 
and  landed  in  the  night  at  the  village  of  the  cacique, 
before  the  Indians  could  have  notice  of  his  approach. 
Lest  Quibian  should  take  the  alarm  and  fly,  he  ascended 
to  his  house,  accompanied  only  by  Diego  Mendez  and 
four  other  men,  ordering  the  rest  to  come  on  gradually 
and  secretly,  and  at  the  discharge  of  an  arquebusc  to 
rush  up  and  surround  the  house,  and  suffer  no  one  to 
escape. 


QUIBIAN  IS  OVERPOWERED. 

The  cacique,  hearing  of  his  approach,  came  forth,  and 
seating  himself  in  the  portal,  desired  him  to  advance 
singly.  Don  Bartholomew  complied,  ordering  Diego 
Mendez  and  his  four  companions  to  remain  at  a  little 
distance,  but  to  rush  to  his  aid  at  a  concerted  signal. 
He  then  advanced,  addressed  the  cacique  by  means  of 
the  interpreter,  inquired  about  his  wound,  and  pretend 
ing  to  examine  it,  took  him  by  the  arm.  This  was  the 
signal,  at  which  four  of  the  Spaniards  rushed  forward ; 
the  fifth  discharged  the  arquebuse.  A  violent  struggle 
ensued  between  Don  Bartholomew  and  the  cacique,  who 
were  both  men  of  great  muscular  force  ;  but  with  the 
assistance  of  Diego  Mendez  and  his  companions,  Quibian 
was  overpowered,  and  bound  hand  and  foot.  In  the 
meantime  the  main  body  of  the  Spaniards  surrounded 
the  house,  and  captured  the  wives  and  children  of  the 
cacique,  and  several  of  his  principal  subjects.  The  pris 
oners  were  sent  off  to  the  ships,  while  the  adelantado, 
with  a  part  of  his  men,  remained  on  shore  to  pursue  the 
Indians  who  had  escaped. 

The  cacique  was  conveyed  to  the  boats  by  Juan  San 
chez,  the  principal  pilot  of  the  squadron,  a  powerful  and 
spirited  man.  The  adelantado  charged  him  to  be  on  his 
guard  against  any  attempt  at  rescue  or  escape.  The 
sturdy  pilot  replied  that  if  the  cacique  escaped  from  his 
clutches  he  would  give  them  leave  to  pluck  out  his  beard 
hair  by  hair.  On  arriving  at  the  boat,  he  secured  his 
prisoner  by  a  strong  cord  to  one  of  the  benches.  It  was 
a  dark  night ;  as  the  boat  proceeded  down  the  river,  the 
cacique  complained  piteously  of  the  painfulness  of  his 
bonds,  until  the  rough  heart  of  the  pilot  was  touched 
with  compassion.  He  loosened  the  cord,  therefore,  by 
which  Quibian  was  tied  to  the  bench,  keeping  the  end 
of  it  in  his  hand.  The  wily  Indian  now  watched  his 


298  THE   LIFE   OF  COLUMRUS. 

opportunity,  and  plunged  suddenly  into  the  water,  with 
such  violence  that  the  pilot  had  to  let  go  the  cord,  lest 
he  should  be  drawn  in  after  him.  The  darkness  of  the 
night,  and  the  bustle  which  took  place  in  preventing  the 
escape  of  the  other  prisoners,  rendered  it  impossible  to 
pursue  the  cacique,  or  even  to  ascertain  his  fate.  Juan 
Sanchez  hastened  to  the  ships  with  the  residue  of  the 
captives,  deeply  mortified  at  being  thus  outwitted  by  a 
savage. 

The  adelantado  remained  all  night  on  shore,  but  on 
the  following  morning,  seeing  the  wild  and  rugged  nature 
of  the  country,  he  gave  up  all  further  pursuit  of  the  In 
dians,  and  returned  to  the  ships  with  the  spoils  of  the 
cacique's  mansion,  consisting  of  bracelets,  anklets,  and 
massive  plates  of  gold,  and  two  golden  coronets.  One- 
fifth  of  the  booty  was  set  apart  for  the  Crown,  the  resi 
due  was  shared  among  those  concerned  in  the  enterprise, 
and  one  of  the  coronets  was  assigned  to  the  adelantado 
as  a  trophy  of  his  exploit. 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

DISASTERS    OF  THE    SETTLEMENT.        [1503.] 

SATISFIED  that  the  vigorous  measure  of  the  adelan 
tado  had  struck  terror  into  the  Indians  and  crushed  their 
hostile  designs,  Columbus  took  advantage  of  a  swelling 
of  the  river  to  pass  the  bar  with  three  of  his  caravels, 
leaving  the  fourth  for  the  use  of  the  settlement.  He 
then  anchored  within  a  league  of  the  shore,  until  a  favor 
able  wind  should  spring  up  for  Hispaniola. 

The  cacique  Quibian  had  not  perished  in  the  river,  as 


ESCAPE   OF  QUIBIAN.  299 

some  had  supposed.  Plunging  to  the  bottom,  he  swam 
for  some  distance  below  the  surface,  and  then  emerging, 
escaped  to  the  shore.  His  home,  however,  was  desolate, 
and,  to  complete  his  despair,  he  saw  the  vessels  standing 
out  to  sea,  bearing  away  his  wives  and  children  captives. 
Furious  for  revenge,  he  gathered  together  a  great  num 
ber  of  his  warriors,  and  assailed  the  settlement  when  the 
Spaniards  were  scattered  and  off  their  guard.  The  In 
dians  launched  their  javelins  through  the  roofs  of  the 
houses,  which  were  of  palm  leaves,  or  hurled  them  in 
at  the  windows,  or  thrust  them  between  the  logs  which 
composed  the  walls,  and  wounded  several  of  the  Span 
iards.  On  the  first  alarm,  the  adelantado  seized  a  lance, 
and  sallied  forth  with  seven  or  eight  of  his  men  ;  Diego 
Mendez  brought  several  others  to  his  assistance.  They 
had  a  short  skirmish  :  one  Spaniard  was  killed  and  eight 
wounded  ;  the  adelantado  received  a  thrust  in  the  breast 
with  a  javelin  ;  but  they  succeeded  in  repulsing  the  In 
dians  with  considerable  loss,  and  driving  them  into  the 
forest. 

During  the  skirmish,  a  boat  came  on  shore  from  the 
ships  to  procure  wood  and  water.  It  was  commanded 
by  Diego  Tristan,  a  captain  of  one  of  the  caravels. 
When  the  Indians  were  put  to  flight,  he  proceeded  up 
the  river,  in  quest  of  fresh  water,  disregarding  the  warn 
ing  counsels  of  those  on  shore. 

The  boat  had  ascended  about  a  league  above  the  vil 
lage,  to  a  part  of  the  river  overshadowed  by  lofty  banks 
and  spreading  trees.  Suddenly  the  forest  resounded 
with  yells  and  war-whoops,  and  the  blasts  of  conchs.  A 
shower  of  missiles  was  rained  from  the  shores,  and  canoes 
darted  out  from  creeks  and  coves,  filled  with  warriors, 
brandishing  their  weapons.  The  Spaniards,  losing  all 
presence  of  mind,  neglected  to  use  their  firearms,  and 


300  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

only  sought  to  shelter  themselves  with  their  bucklers. 
The  captain,  Diego  Tristan,  though  covered  with  wounds, 
endeavored  to  animate  his  men,  when  a  javelin  pierced 
his  right  eye  and  struck  him  dead.  The  canoes  now 
closed  upon  the  boat,  and  massacred  the  crew.  One 
Spaniard  alone  escaped,  who,  having  fallen  overboard, 
dived  to  the  bottom,  swam  under  water,  and  escaped  un- 
perceived  to  shore,  bearing  tidings  of  the  massacre  to  the 
settlement.  The  Spaniards  were  so  alarmed  at  the  in 
telligence,  and  at  the  thoughts  of  the  dangers  that  were 
thickening  around  them,  that,  notwithstanding  the  re 
monstrances  of  the  adelantado,  they  determined  to  em 
bark  in  the  caravel,  and  abandon  the  place  altogether. 
On  making  the  attempt,  however,  they  found  that,  the 
torrents  having  subsided,  the  river  was  again  shallow,  and 
it  was  impossible  for  the  caravel  to  pass  over  the  bar. 
A  high  sea  and  boisterous  surf  also  prevented  their  send 
ing  off  a  boat  to  the  Admiral,  with  intelligence  of  their 
danger.  While  thus  cut  off  from  all  retreat  or  succor, 
horrors  increased  upon  them.  The  mangled  bodies  of 
Diego  Tristan  and  his  men  came  floating  down  the 
stream,  and  drifting  about  the  harbor,  with  flights  of 
crows  and  other  carrion  birds  feeding  on  them,  and  hov 
ering  and  screaming  and  fighting  about  their  prey. 

In  the  meantime,  the  dismal  sound  of  conchs  and  war- 
drums  was  heard  in  every  direction  in  the  bosom  of  the 
surrounding  forest,  showing  that  the  enemy  was  aug 
menting  in  number,  and  preparing  for  further  hostilities. 
The  adelantado,  therefore,  deemed  it  unsafe  to  remain 
in  the  village,  which  was  adjacent  to  the  woods.  He 
chose  an  open  place  on  the  shore,  where  he  caused  a  kind 
of  bulwark  to  be  made  of  the  boat  of  the  caravel,  and  of 
casks  and  sea-chests.  Two  places  were  left  open  as  em 
brasures,  in  which  were  mounted  a  couple  of  falconets, 


s  :, 

a    s 

Q 


302  THE   LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

or  small  pieces  of  artillery.  In  this  little  fortress  the 
Spaniards  shut  themselves  up,  and  kept  the  Indians  at  a 
distance  by  the  terror  of  their  firearms ;  but  they  were 
exhausted  by  watching  and  by  incessant  alarms,  and 
looked  forward  with  despondency  to  the  time  when 
their  ammunition  should  be  exhausted,  or  they  should 
be  driven  forth  by  hunger  to  seek  for  food. 

While  the  Spaniards  were  exposed  to  such  imminent 
peril  on  shore,  great  anxiety  prevailed  on  board  of  the 
ships.  Day  after  day  elapsed  without  the  return  of 
Diego  Tristan  and  his  party,  and  it  was  feared  that  some 
disaster  had  befallen  them.  But  one  boat  remained  for 
the  service  of  the  ships,  and  they  dared  not  risk  it  in  the 
rough  sea  and  heavy  surf,  to  send  it  on  shore  for  intelli 
gence.  A  circumstance  occurred  to  increase  the  anxiety 
of  the  crews.  The  Indian  prisoners  were  confined  in  the 
forecastle  of  one  of  the  caravels.  In  the  night  they  sud 
denly  burst  open  the  hatch,  several  flung  themselves  into 
the  sea  and  swam  to  the  shore ;  the  rest  were  secured  and 
forced  back  into  the  forecastle,  but  such  was  their  un 
conquerable  spirit  and  their  despair  that  they  hanged 
or  strangled  themselves  with  ends  of  cords  which  lay 
about  in  their  prison,  and  in  the  morning  were  all  found 
dead. 

The  escape  of  some  of  the  prisoners  gave  great  uneasi 
ness  to  the  Admiral,  fearing  they  would  stimulate  their 
countrymen  to  some  new  act  of  vengeance.  Still  it  was 
impossible  to  send  a  boat  on  shore.  At  length,  one 
Pedro  Ledesma,  a  man  of  great  strength  and  resolution, 
volunteered,  if  the  boat  would  take  him  to  the  edge  of 
the  surf,  to  plunge  into  the  sea,  swim  to  the  shore,  and 
bring  off  intelligence.  He  succeeded,  and  on  his  return 
informed  the  Admiral  of  all  the  disasters  of  the  settle 
ment  ;  the  attack  by  the  Indians,  and  the  massacre  of 


ABANDONMENT  OF   THE   SETTLEMENT. 

Diego  Tristan  and  his  boat's  crew.  He  found  the  Span 
iards  in  their  forlorn  fortress,  in  a  complete  state  of 
insubordination.  They  were  preparing  canoes,  to  take 
them  to  the  ships  when  the  weather  should  moderate. 
They  threatened  that,  if  the  Admiral  refused  to  take 
them  on  board,  they  would  embark  in  the  remaining  car 
avel,  as  soon  as  it  could  be  extricated  from  the  river,  and 
would  abandon  themselves  to  the  mercy  of  the  seas, 
rather  than  continue  on  that  fatal  coast. 

The  Admiral  was  deeply  afflicted  at  this  intelligence  ; 
but  there  appeared  no  alternative  but  to  embark  all  the 
people,  abandon  the  settlement  for  the  present,  and  re 
turn  at  a  future  day,  with  a  force  competent  to  take  secure 
possession  of  the  country.  The  state  of  the  weather  ren 
dered  the  execution  even  of  this  plan  doubtful.  The 
high  wind  and  boisterous  waves  still  prevented  communi 
cation,  and  the  situation  of  those  at  sea,  in  crazy  and 
feebly  manned  ships,  on  a  lee  shore,  was  scarcely  less 
perilous  than  that  of  their  comrades  on  the  land.  Every 
hour  increased  the  anxiety  of  the  Admiral.  Days  of  con 
stant  perturbation  and  nights  of  sleepless  anguish  preyed 
upon  a  constitution  broken  by  age  and  hardships. 
Amidst  the  acute  maladies  of  the  body  and  the  fever 
of  the  mind,  he  appears  to  have  been  visited  by  partial 
delirium.  In  a  letter  to  the  sovereigns  he  gives  an  account 
of  a  kind  of  vision  which  comforted  him  when  full  of 
despondency,  and  tossing  upon  a  couch  of  pain.  In  the 
silence  of  the  night,  when,  weaned  and  sighing,  he  had 
fallen  into  a  slumber,  he  thought  he  heard  a  voice 
reproaching  him  with  his  want  of  confidence  in  God. 
u  Oh,  fool,  and  slow  to  believe  thy  God  !  "  exclaimed  the 
voice ;  "  what  did  he  more  for  Moses  or  for  his  servant 
David?  From  the  time  that  thou  wert  born  he  has  ever 
taken  care  of  thee.  When  he  saw  thee  of  a  fitting  age 


304  THE  LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

he  made  thy  name  to  resound  marvellously  throughout 
the  world.  The  Indies,  those  rich  parts  of  the  earth,  he 
gave  thee  for  thine  own,  and  empowered  thee  to  dispose 
of  them  to  others  according  to  thy  pleasure.  He  delivered 
thee  the  keys  of  the  gates  of  the  ocean  sea  shut  up  by 
such  mighty  chains,  and  thou  wert  obeyed  in  many  lands, 
and  diclst  acquire  honorable  fame  among  Christians.  .  .  . 
Thou  dost  call  .despondingly  for  succor.  Answer  !  who 
has  afflicted  thee?  God,  or  the  world?  The  privileges 
and  promises  which  God  has  made  thee  he  has  never 
broken.  He  fulfills  all  that  he  promises,  and  with  in 
crease.  Thy  present  troubles  are  the  reward  of  the 
toils  and  perils  thou  hast  endured  in  serving  others." 
Amidst  its  reproaches  the  voice  mingled  promises  of 
further  protection,  and  assurances  that  his  age  should  be 
no  impediment  to  any  great  undertaking. 

Such  is  the  vision  which  Columbus  circumstantially 
relates  in  a  letter  to  the  sovereigns.  The  words  here 
spoken  by  a  supposed  voice  are  truths  which  dwelt  upon 
his  mind  and  agitated  his  spirit  in  his  waking  hours.  It 
is  natural  that  they  should  recur  vividly  in  his  feverish 
dreams.  He  had  a  solemn  belief  that  he  was  a  peculiar 
instrument  in  the  hands  of  Providence,  which,  together 
with  a  deep  tinge  of  superstition,  common  to  the  age, 
made  him  prone  to  mistake  every  striking  dream  for  a 
revelation. 

His  error  was  probably  confirmed  by  subsequent  cir 
cumstances.  Immediately  after  the  supposed  vision,  and 
after  nine  days  of  boisterous  weather,  the  wind  subsided, 
the  sea  became  calm,  and  the  adelantado  and  his  com 
panions  were  happily  rescued  from  their  perilous  situ 
ation,  and  embarked  on  board  of  the  ships.  Everything 
of  value  was  likewise  brought  on  board,  and  nothing 
remained  but  the  hull  of  the  caravel,  which  could  not  be 


DEPARTURE   FROM    VERAGUA.  3°5 

extricated  from  the  river.  Diego  Mendez  was  extremely 
efficient  in  bringing  off  the  people  and  the  property; 
and,  in  reward  of  his  zeal  and  services,  the  Admiral  gave 
him  the  command  of  the  caravel,  vacant  by  the  death  of 
the  unfortunate  Diego  Tristan. 


CHAPTER   XL. 

VOYAGE     TO     JAMAICA.— TRANSACTIONS     AT     THAT     ISL 
AND.      [1503.] 

TOWARDS  the  end  of  April  Columbus  set  sail  from  the 
disastrous  coast  of  Veragua.  The  wretched  condition 
of  his  ships,  the  enfeebled  state  of  his  crews,  and  the 
scarcity  of  provisions  determined  him  to  make  the  best 
of  his  way  for  Hispaniola;  but  it  was  necessary,  before 
standing  across  for  that  island,  to  gain  a  considerable 
distance  to  the  east,  to  avoid  being  swept  away  far  be 
low  their  destined  port  by  the  currents.  The  pilots  and 
mariners,  who  had  not  studied  the  navigation  of  these 
seas  with  an  equally  experienced  and  observant  eye,  fan 
cied,  when  Columbus  stood  along  the  coast  to  the  east, 
that  he  intended  to  proceed  immediately  to  Spain,  and 
murmured  loudly  at  the  madness  of  attempting  so  long  a 
voyage,  with  ships  destitute  of  stores  and  consumed  by 
the  worms.  The  Admiral  did  not  impart  his  reasons, 
for  he  was  disposed  to  make  a  mystery  of  his  routes,  see 
ing  the  number  of  private  adventurers  daily  crowding 
into  his  track. 

Continuing  along  the  coast  eastward,  he  was  obliged 
to  abandon  one  of  the  caravels  in  the  harbor  of  Puerto 
Bello,  being  so  pierced  by  the  teredo  that  it  was  impos- 
(20) 


THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

sible  to  keep  her  afloat.  He  then  proceeded  about  ten 
leagues  beyond  Point  Bias,  near  to  what  is  at  present 
called  the  Gulf  of  Darien,  and  which  he  supposed  to  be 
the  province  of  Mangi,  in  the  territories  of  the  Grand 
Khan.  Here  he  bade  farewell  to  the  mainland,  and 
stood  northward  on  the  1st  of  May,  in  quest  of  Hispani- 
ola.  Notwithstanding  all  his  precautions,  however,  he 
was  carried  so  far  west  by  the  currents  as  to  arrive,  on 
the  3Oth  of  May,  among  the  cluster  of  islands  called  the 
Queen's  Gardens,  on  the  south  side  of  Cuba.  During 
this  time  his  crews  had  suffered  excessively  from  hunger 
and  fatigue.  They  were  crowded  into  two  caravels,  little 
better  than  mere  wrecks,  and  which  were  scarcely  kept 
afloat  by  incessant  labor  at  the  pump.  They  were  en 
feebled  by  scanty  diet,  and  dejected  by  a  variety  of 
hardships.  A  violent  storm  on  the  coast  of  Cuba  drove 
the  vessels  upon  each  other,  and  shattered  them  to  such 
a  degree  that  the  Admiral,  after  struggling  as  far  as  Cape 
Cruz,  gave  up  all  further  attempt  to  navigate  them  to 
Hispaniola,  and  stood  over  in  search  of  a  secure  port  on 
the  island  of  Jamaica.  Here,  on  the  24th  of  June,  they 
anchored  in  a.  harbor,  to  which  the  Admiral  gave  the 
name  of  Port  San  Gloria. 

Seeing  that  his  ships  were  no  longer  capable  of  stand 
ing  the  sea,  and  were  in  danger  of  foundering  even  in 
port,  Columbus  ran  them  aground,  within  bowshot  of 
the  shore,  where  they  were  fastened  together  side  by 
side.  They  soon  filled  with  water.  Thatched  cabins 
were  then  erected  at  the  prow  and  stern  to  shelter  the 
crews,  and  the  wreck  was  placed  in  the  best  possible 
state  of  defence;  thus  castled  in  the  sea,  Columbus 
trusted  to  be  able  to  repel  any  sudden  attack  of  the  na 
tives,  and  at  the  same  time  to  keep  his  men  under  proper 
restraint.  No  one  was  permitted  to  go  on  shore  without 


A   PERILOUS  SITUATION. 

especial  license,  and  the  utmost  precaution  was  taken  to 
prevent  any  offence  being  given  to  the  Indians,  who  soon 
swarmed  to  the  harbor  with  provisions,  as  any  exaspera 
tion  of  them  might  be  fatal  to  the  Spaniards  in  their 
present  forlorn  situation.  Two  persons  were  appointed 
to  superintend  all  bargains,  and  the  provisions  thus  ob 
tained  were  divided  every  evening  among  the  people. 
As  the  immediate  neighborhood,  however,  might  soon  be 
exhausted,  the  zealous  and  intrepid  Diego  Mendez  made 
a  tour  in  the  interior,  accompanied  by  three  men,  and 
made  arrangements  for  the  caciques  at  a  distance  to 
furnish  daily  supplies  at  the  harbor,  in  exchange  for 
European  trinkets.  He  returned  in  triumph,  in  a  canoe 
which  he  had  purchased  from  the  Indians,  and  which 
he  had  freighted  with  provisions,  and  through  his  able 
arrangement  the  Spaniards  were  regularly  supplied. 

The  immediate  wants  of  his  people  being  thus  pro 
vided  for,  Columbus  revolved,  in  his  anxious  mind,  the 
means  of  getting  from  this  island.  His  ships  were  be 
yond  the  possibility  of  repair ;  there  was  no  hope  of  a 
chance  sail  arriving  to  his  relief,  on  the  shores  of  a  sav 
age  island,  in  an  unfrequented  sea.  At  length  a  mode 
of  relief  occurred  to  him,  through  the  means  of  this 
same  Diego  Mendez,  whose  courage  and  loyalty  he  had 
so  often  proved.  He  took  him  aside  to  sound  him  on 
the  subject,  and  Mendez  himself  has  written  an  account 
of  this  interesting  conversation,  which  is  full  of  char 
acter. 

"  Diego  Mendez,  my  son,"  said  the  venerable  Admiral, 
"  of  all  those  who  are  here,  you  and  I  alone  know  the 
great  peril  in  which  we  are  placed.  We  are  few  in  num 
ber,  and  these  savage  Indians  are  many,  and  of  fickle 
and  irritable  natures.  On  the  least  provocation  they 
may  throw  firebrands  from  the  shore  and  consume  us  in 


308  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

our  straw-thatched  cabins.  The  arrangement  which  you 
have  made  for  provisions,  and  which  at  present  they  ful 
fill  so  cheerfully,  they  may  capriciously  break  to-morrow, 
and  may  refuse  to  bring  us  anything  ;  nor  have  we  the 
means  of  compelling  them.  I  have  thought  of  a  rem 
edy,  if  it  meets  your  views.  In  this  canoe  which  you 
have  purchased,  some  one  may  pass  over  to  Hispani- 
ola,  and  procure  a  ship,  by  which  we  shall  all  be  deliv 
ered  from  this  great  peril.  Tell  me  your  opinion  on  the 
matter." 

"  Sefior,"  replied  Diego  Mendez,  "  I  well  know  our 
danger  to  be  far  greater  than  is  easily  conceived  ;  but  as 
to  passing  to  Hispaniola  in  so  small  a  vessel  as  a  canoe, 
I  hold  it  not  merely  difficult,  but  impossible,  since  it 
is  necessary  to  traverse  a  gulf  of  forty  leagues,  and  be 
tween  islands  where  the  sea  is  impetuous  and  seldom  in 
repose.  I  know  not  who  there  is  would  venture  upon  so 
extreme  a  peril." 

Columbus  made  no  reply  ;  but  from  his  looks,  and  the 
nature  of  his  silence,  Mendez  plainly  perceived  hirrvself 
to  be  the  person  whom  the  Admiral  had  in  view.  Re 
suming,  therefore,  the  conversation  :  "  Sefior,"  said  he, 
"  I  have  many  times  put  my  life  in  peril  to  save  you  and 
my  comrades,  and  God  has  hitherto  preserved  me  in  a 
miraculous  manner.  There  are,  nevertheless,  murmurers 
who  say  that  your  excellency  intrusts  to  me  every  affair 
wherein  honor  is  to  be  gained,  while  there  are  others  in 
company  who  would  execute  them  as  well  as  I.  I  beg, 
therefore,  that  you  would  assemble  the  people,  and  pro 
pose  this  enterprise,  to  see  if  any  one  will  undertake  it, 
which  I  doubt.  If  all  decline,  I  will  then  come  forward 
and  risk  my  life  in  your  service,  as  I  have  many  times 
done  already." 

The    Admiral    willingly    humored    the  wishes  of   the 


LOYALTY  OF  MENDEZ.  309 

worthy  Mendez ;  for  never  was  simple  vanity  accom 
panied  by  more  generous  and  devoted  zeal. 

On  the  following  morning  the  crew  was  accordingly 
assembled,  and  the  proposition  made.  Every  one  drew 
back,  pronouncing  it  the  height  of  rashness.  Upon  this, 
Diego  Mendez  stepped  forward.  "  Sefior,"  said  he,  "  I 
have  but  one  life  to  lose,  yet  I  am  willing  to  venture  it 
for  your  service,  and  for  the  good  of  all  here  present ; 
and  I  trust  in  the  protection  of  God,  which  I  have  ex 
perienced  on  so  many  other  occasions." 

Columbus  embraced  this  zealous  follower,  who  imme 
diately  set  about  preparing  for  the  expedition.  Draw 
ing  his  canoe  on  shore,  he  put  on  a  false  keel,  and  nailed 
weatherboards  along  the  bow  and  stern,  to  prevent  the 
sea  from  breaking  over  it.  He  then  payed  it  with  a 
coat  of  tar,  furnished  it  with  a  mast  and  sail,  and  put 
in  provisions  for  himself,  a  Spanish  comrade,  and  six 
Indians. 

In  the  meanwhile,  Columbus  wrote  a  letter  to  Ovando, 
Governor  of  Hispaniola,  begging  that  a  ship  might  imme 
diately  be  sent  to  bring  him  and  his  men  to  Hispaniola ; 
and  he  wrote  another  to  the  sovereigns,  entreating 
for  a  ship  to  convey  them  from  Hispaniola  to  Spain. 
In  this  letter  he  gave  a  comprehensive  account  of  his 
voyage,  and  expressed  his  opinion  that  Veragua  was 
the  Aurea  Chersonesus  of  the  ancients.  He  supposed 
himself  to  have  reached  the  confines  of  the  dominions 
of  the  Grand  Khan,  and  offered,  if  he  lived  to  return 
to  Spain,  to  conduct  a  mission  thither  to  instruct  that 
potentate  in  the  Christian  faith.  What  an  instance  of 
soaring  enthusiasm  and  irrepressible  enterprise  is  here 
exhibited  !  At  the  time  he  was  indulging  these  visions, 
and  proposing  new  and  romantic  enterprises,  he  was 
broken  down  by  age  and  infirmities,  racked  by  pain, 


310  THE    LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

confined  to  his  bed,  and  shut  up  in  a  wreck  on  the  coast 
of  a  remote  and  savage  island. 

The  dispatches  being  ready,  Diego  Mendez  embarked 
with  his  Spanish  comrade  and  his  six  Indians,  and  coasted 
the  island  eastward.  Their  voyage  was  toilsome  and 
perilous.  When  arrived  at  the  end  of  the  island,  they 
were  suddenly  surrounded  and  taken  prisoners  by  the 
Indians,  who  carried  them  three  leagues  into  the  interior, 
where  they  determined  to  kill  them.  A  dispute  arising 
about  the  division  of  the  spoils,  they  agreed  to  settle  it 
after  the  Indian  fashion,  by  a  game  of  ball.  While  thus 
engaged,  Diego  Mendez  escaped,  regained  his  canoe, 
and  made  his  way  back  to  the  harbor  in  it.  alone,  after 
fifteen  days'  absence.  Nothing  daunted  by  the  perils  and 
hardships  he  had  undergone,  he  offered  to  depart  imme 
diately,  on  a  second  attempt,  provided  he  could  be  es 
corted  to  the  end  of  the  island  by  an  armed  force.  His 
offer  was  accepted,  and  Bartholomew  Fiesco,  a  Genoese, 
who  had  commanded  one  of  the  caravels,  and  was  strongly 
attached  to  the  Admiral,  was  associated  with  him  in  this 
second  expedition.  Each  had  a  canoe,  with  six  Span 
iards  and  ten  Indians  under  his  command.  On  reaching 
Hispaniola,  Fiesco  was  to  return  immediately  to  Ja 
maica,  to  bring  tidings  to  the  Admiral  of  the  safe  arrival 
of  his  messenger ;  while  Diego  Mendez  was  to  proceed 
to  San  Domingo,  and,  after  purchasing  and  dispatching 
a  ship,  was  to  depart  for  Spain  with  the  letter  to  the 
sovereigns. 

All  arrangements  being  made,  the  Indians  placed  in 
the  canoes  a  supply  of  cassava  bread,  and  each  his  cala 
bash  of  water.  The  Spaniards,  besides  their  provisions, 
had  each  his  sword  and  target.  The  adelantado,  with 
an  armed  band,  kept  pace  with  them  along  the  coast 
until  they  reached  the  end  of  the  island,  where,  waiting 


MUTINY  OF  PORRAS.  311 

for  three  days  until  the  weather  was  perfectly  serene, 
they  launched  forth  on  the  broad  bosom  of  the  sea.  The 
adelantado  remained  watching  them  until  they  became 
mere  specks  on  the  ocean,  and  the  evening  hid  them  from 
his  view,  and  then  returned  to  the  harbor. 


CHAPTER    XLI. 

MUTINY  OF  PORRAS.— ECLIPSE  OF  THE  MOON.— STRAT 
AGEM  OF  COLUMBUS  TO  PROCURE  SUPPLIES  FROM 
THE  INDIANS.  [1503.] 

MONTHS  elapsed,  and  nothing  was  heard  of  Mendez 
and  Fiesco.  The  Spaniards,  enfeebled  by  past  sufferings, 
crowded  in  close  quarters,  in  a  moist  and  sultry  climate, 
and  reduced  to  a  vegetable  diet,  to  which  they  were 
unaccustomed,  became  extremely  sickly,  and  their  mala 
dies  were  heightened  by  anxiety  and  suspense.  Day  after 
day  and  week  after  week  they  kept  a  wistful  lookout 
upon  the  sea  for  the  expected  return  of  Fiesco,  flattering 
themselves  that  every  Indian  canoe,  gliding  at  a  distance, 
might  be  the  harbinger  of  deliverance.  It  was  all  in 
vain  ;  and  at  length  they  began  to  fear  that  their  messen 
gers  had  perished.  Some  gradually  sank  into  despond 
ency  ;  others  became  peevish  and  impatient,  and,  in  their 
unreasonable  heat,  railed  at  their  venerable  and  infirm 
commander  as  the  cause  of  all  their  misfortunes. 

Among  the  officers  of  Columbus  were  two  brothers, 
Francisco  and  Diego  Porras,  relations  of  the  royal  treas 
urer  Morales.  To  gratify  the  latter,  the  Admiral  had 
appointed  one  of  them  captain  of  a  caravel,  and  the  other 
notary  and  accountant-general  of  the  expedition.  They 


312  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

were  vain  and  insolent  men,  and,  like  many  others  whom 
Columbus  had  benefited,  requited  his  kindness  with  the 
blackest  ingratitude.  Mingling  with  the  people,  they 
assured  them  that  Columbus  had  no  intention  of  return 
ing  to  Spain,  having  in  reality  been  banished  thence  by 
the  sovereigns.  Hispaniola,  they  said,  was  equally  closed 
against  him,  and  it  was  his  design  to  remain  in  Jamaica 
until  his  friends  could  make  interest  at  court  to  procure 
his  recall.  As  to  Mendez  and  Fiesco,  they  had  been  sent 
to  Spain  by  Columbus  on  his  own  private  concerns;  if 
this  were  not  the  case,  why  did  not  the  promised  ship 
arrive?  or  why  did  not  Fiesco  return  ?  Or,  if  the  canoes 
had  really  been  sent  for  succor,  the  long  time  that  had 
elapsed  without  tidings  gave  reason  to  believe  that  they 
had  perished  by  the  way.  In  such  case  their  only  alter 
native  would  be  to  take  Indian  canoes,  and  endeavor  to 
reach  Hispaniola  ;  but  there  was  no  hope  of  persuading 
the  Admiral  to  do  this;  he  was  too  old  and  too  infirm 
to  undertake  such  a  voyage. 

By  these  insidious  suggestions  they  gradually  prepared 
the  people  for  revolt,  assuring  them  of  the  protection  of 
their  own  relatives  in  Spain,  and  of  the  countenance  of 
Ovando  and  Fonseca,  if  not  of  the  favor  of  the  sover 
eigns  themselves,  who  had  shown  their  ill-will  towards 
Columbus  by  stripping  him  of  part  of  his  dignities  and 
privileges. 

On  the  2d  of  January,  1504,  the  mutiny  broke  out. 
Francisco  Porras  suddenly  entered  the  cabin,  where  Co 
lumbus  was  confined  to  his  bed  by  the  gout,  reproached 
him  vehemently  with  keeping  them  in  that  desolate  place 
to  perish,  and  accused  him  of  having  no  intention  to 
return  to  Spain.  The  Admiral  raised  himself  in  bed, 
and,  maintaining  his  calmness,  endeavored  to  reason  with 
the  traitor  ;  but  Porras  was  deaf  to  all  argument.  "  Em- 


MUTINY  OF   THE   CREW.  313 

bark  immediately,  or  remain,  in  God's  name ! "  cried  he, 
with  a  voice  that  resounded  all  over  the  wreck  "  For 
my  part,  I  am  for  Castile  !  those  who  choose  may  follow 
me!" 

This  was  the  signal.  "  For  Castile  !  for  Castile  !  "  was 
heard  on  every  side.  The  mutineers  sprang  upon  the 
most  conspicuous  parts  of  the  vessel,  brandishing  their 
weapons,  and,  amidst  the  uproar,  the  voices  of  some  des 
peradoes  were  heard  menacing  the  life  of  the  Admiral. 

Columbus,  ill  and  infirm  as  he  was,  leaped  out  of  bed, 
and  tottered  forth  to  pacify  the  mutineers,  but  was  forced 
back  into  his  cabin  by  some  of  his  faithful  adherents, 
The  adelantado  sallied  forth,  lance  in  hand,  and  planted 
himself  in  a  situation  to  take  the  whole  brunt  of  the 
assault.  It  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  several 
of  the  loyal  part  of  the  crew  could  restrain  his  fury,  and 
prevail  upon  him  to  relinquish  his  weapon,  and  retire  to 
the  cabin  of  his  brother. 

The  mutineers,  being  entirely  unopposed,  took  ten 
canoes,  which  the  Admiral  had  purchased  from  the  In 
dians  ;  others,  who  had  not  been  concerned  in  the  mu 
tiny,  joined  them,  through  fear  of  remaining  behind, 
when  so  reduced  in  number;  in  this  way,  forty-eight 
abandoned  the  Admiral.  Many  of  the  sick  crawled  forth 
from  their  cabins,  and  beheld  their  departure  with  tears 
and  lamentations,  and  would  gladly  have  accompanied 
them  had  their  strength  permitted. 

Porras  coasted  with  his  squadron  of  canoes  to  the  east 
ward,  landing  occasionally  and  robbing  the  natives,  pre 
tending  to  act  under  the  authority  of  Columbus,  that 
he  might  draw  on  him  their  hostility.  Arrived  at  the 
east  end  of  the  island,  he  procured  several  Indians  to 
manage  the  canoes,  and  then  set  out  on  his  voyage  across 
the  gulf.  The  Spaniards  had  scarcely  proceeded  four 


THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

leagues  when  the  wind  came  ahead,  with  a  swell  of 
the  sea  that  threatened  to  overwhelm  the  deeply  laden 
canoes.  They  immediately  turned  for  land,  and,  in  their 
alarm,  threw  overboard  the  greater  part  of  their  effects. 
The  danger  still  continuing,  they  drew  their  swords,  and 
compelled  most  of  the  Indians  to  leap  into  the  sea.  The 
latter  were  skilful  swimmers,  but  the  distance  to  land  was 
too  great  for  their  strength ;  if,  however,  they  at  any 
time  took  hold  of  the  canoes  to  rest  themselves  and 
recover  breath,  the  Spaniards,  fearful  of  their  overturn 
ing  the  slight  barks,  would  stab  them,  or  cut  off  their 
hands.  Some  were  thus  slain  by  the  sword  ;  others  sunk 
exhausted  beneath  the  waves ;  eighteen  perished  miser 
ably;  and  none  survived  but  a  few  who  had  been  retained 
to  manage  the  canoes. 

Having  reached  the  shore  in  safety,  Porras  and  his 
men  waited  until  the  weather  became  favorable,  and  then 
made  another  effort  to  cross  to  Hispaniola,  but  with  no 
better  success.  They  then  abandoned  the  attempt  in 
despair,  and  returned  westward,  towards  the  harbor,  rov 
ing  from  village  to  village,  living  upon  the  provisions  of 
the  Indians,  which  they  took  by  force,  if  not  readily 
given,  and  conducting  themselves  in  the  most  licentious 
manner.  If  the  natives  remonstrated  they  told  them  to 
seek  redress  at  the  hands  of  the  Admiral,  whom,  at  the 
same  time,  they  represented  as  the  implacable  foe  of  the 
Indian  race,  and  bent  upon  gaining  a  tyrannical  sway 
over  their  island. 

In  the  meantime  Columbus,  when  abandoned  by  the 
mutineers,  and  left  in  the  wreck  with  a  mere  handful  of 
sick  and  desponding  men,  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost 
to  restore  this  remnant  to  an  efficient  state  of  health  and 
spirits.  He  ordered  that  the  small  stock  of  biscuit  which 
remained,  and  the  most  nourishing  articles  of  the  provis- 


THREATENED    WITH  FAMINE.  3J5 

ions  furnished  by  the  Indians,  should  be  appropriated  to 
the  invalids ;  he  visited  them,  individually,  cheered  them 
with  hopes  of  speedy  deliverance,  and  promised  that 
on  his  return  to  Spain  he  would  intercede  with  the 
sovereigns,  that  their  loyalty  might  be  munificently  re 
warded.  In  this  way,  by  kind  and  careful  treatment  and 
encouraging  words,  he  succeeded  in  restoring  them  from 
a  state  of  sickness  and  despondency,  and  rendering  them 
once  more  fit  for  service. 

Scarcely,  however,  had  the  little  garrison  of  the  wreck 
recovered  from  the  shock  of  the  mutiny,  when  it  was 
menaced  by  a  new  and  appalling  evil.  The  scanty 
number  of  the  Spaniards  prevented  them  from  foraging 
abroad  for  provisions,  and  rendered  them  dependent  on 
the  voluntary  supplies  of  the  natives.  The  latter  began 
to  grow  negligent.  The  European  trinkets,  once  so 
inestimable  in  their  eyes,  by  becoming  common,  had 
sunk  in  value,  and  were  almost  treated  with  indifference. 
The  arrangements  made  by  Diego  Mendez  were  irregu 
larly  attended  to,  and  at  length  entirely  disregarded. 
Many  of  the  caciques  had  been  incensed  by  the  conduct 
of  Porras  and  his  followers,  which  they  supposed  justified 
by  the  Admiral ;  others  had  been  secretly  instigated  by 
the  rebels  to  withhold  provisions,  in  hopes  of  starving 
Columbus  and  his  people,  or  of  driving  them  from  the 
island. 

The  horrors  of  famine  began  to  threaten  the  terrified 
crew,  when  a  fortunate  idea  presented  itself  to  Colum 
bus.  From  his  knowledge  of  astronomy,  he  ascertained 
that  within  three  days  there  would  be  a  total  eclipse  of 
the  moon,  in  the  early  part  of  the  night.  He  summoned, 
therefore,  the  principal  caciques  to  a  grand  conference, 
appointing  for  it  the  day  of  the  eclipse.  When  all  were 
assembled,  he  told  them,  by  his  interpreter,  that  he  and 


THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

his  followers  were  worshipers  of  a  Deity,  who  lived  in 
the  skies,  and  held  them  under  his  protection.  That 
this  great  Deity  was  incensed  against  the  Indians,  who 
had  refused  or  neglected  to  furnish  his  faithful  worship 
ers  with  provisions,  and  intended  to  chastise  them  with 
famine  and  pestilence.  Lest  they  should  disbelieve  this 
warning,  a  signal  would  be  given  that  very  night  in  the 
heavens.  They  would  behold  the  moon  change  its  color, 
and  gradually  lose  its  light ;  a  token  of  the  fearful  pun 
ishment  which  awaited  them. 

Many  of  the  Indians  were  alarmed  at  the  solemnity  of 
this  prediction,  others  treated  it  with  derision  ;  all,  how 
ever,  awaited  with  solicitude  the  coming  of  the  night. 
When  they  beheld  a  black  shadow  stealing  over  the 
moon,  and  a  mysterious  gloom  gradually  covering  the 
whole  face  of  nature,  they  were  seized  with  the  utmost 
consternation.  Hurrying  with  provisions  to  the  ships, 
and  throwing  themselves  at  the  feet  of  Columbus,  they 
implored  him  to  intercede  with  his  God  to  withhold  the 
threatened  calamities,  assuring  him  that  thenceforth  they 
would  bring  him  whatever  he  required.  Columbus  re 
tired  to  his  cabin,  under  pretence  of  communing  with 
the  Deity,  the  forests  and  shores  all  the  while  resounding 
with  the  howling  of  the  savages.  He  returned  shortly, 
and  informed  the  natives  that  the  Deity  had  deigned  to 
pardon  them,  on  condition  of  their  fulfilling  their  prom 
ises  ;  in  sign  of  which  he  would  withdraw  the  darkness 
from  the  moon.  When  the  Indians  saw  that  planet  re 
stored  presently  to  its  brightness,  and  rolling  in  all  its 
beauty  through  the  firmament,  they  overwhelmed  the 
Admiral  with  thanks  for  his  intercession.  They  now  re 
garded  him  with  awe  and  reverence,  as  one  in  peculiar 
favor  and  confidence  of  the  Deity,  since  he  knew  upon 
earth  what  was  passing  in  the  heavens.  They  hastened 


'  I 

o    <; 


a  5 

1! 


THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

to  propitiate  him  with  gifts ;  supplies  again  arrived  daily 
at  the  harbor,  and  from  that  time  forward  there  was  no 
want  of  provisions. 


CHAPTER   XLII. 

ARRIVAL    OF    DIEGO    DE     ESCOBAR    AT    THE    HARBOR. — 
BATTLE   WITH    THE    REBELS.      [1504.] 


ARBOI 


EIGHT  months  had  now  elapsed  since  the  departure  of 
Mendez  and  Fiesco,  yet  no  tidings  had  been  received  of 
their  fate.  The  hopes  of  the  most  sanguine  were  nearly 
extinct,  and  many,  considering  themselves  abandoned 
and  forgotten  by  the  world,  grew  wild  and  desperate 
in  their  plans.  Another  conspiracy,  similar  to  that  of 
Porras,  was  on  the  point  of  breaking  out,  when  one 
evening,  towards  dusk,  a  sail  was  seen  standing  towards 
the  harbor.  It  was  a  small  caravel,  which  kept  out  at 
sea,  and  sent  its  boat  on  shore.  In  this  came  Diego  de 
Escobar,  one  of  the  late  confederates  of  Roldan,  who 
had  been  condemned  to  death  under  the  administration 
of  Columbus,  and  pardoned  by  his  successor,  Bobadilla. 
There  was  bad  omen  in  such  a  messenger. 

Escobar  was  the  bearer  of  a  mere  letter  of  compliment 
and  condolence  from  Ovando,  accompanied  by  a  barrel 
of  wine  and  a  side  of  bacon.  The  governor  expressed 
great  concern  at  his  misfortunes,  and  regret  at  not  having 
in  port  a  vessel  of  sufficient  size  to  bring  off  himself  and 
people,  but  promised  to  send  one  as  soon  as  possible. 
Escobar  drew  off  with  the  boat  and  kept  at  a  distance 
from  the  wreck,  awaiting  any  letters  the  Admiral  might 
have  to  send  in  reply,  and  holding  no  conversation  with 
any  of  the  Spaniards.  Columbus  hastened  to  write  to 


DESERTED  BY  0  VAN  DO.  319 

Ovando,  depicting  the  horrors  of  his  situation,  and  urg 
ing  the  promised  relief.  As  soon  as  Escobar  received 
this  letter  he  returned  on  board  of  his  caravel,  which 
made  all  sail,  and  disappeared  in  the  gathering  gloom  of 
the  night. 

The  mysterious  conduct  of  Escobar  caused  great  won 
der  and  consternation  among  the  people.  Columbus 
sought  to  dispel  their  uneasiness,  assuring  them  that  ves 
sels  \uJLl  soon  arrive  to  take  them  away.  In  confidence 
of  tirade  said,  he  had  declined  to  depart  with  Escobar, 
because  his  vessel  was  too  small  to  take  the  whole,  and 
had  dispatched  him  in  such  haste  that  no  time  might  be 
lost  in  sending  the  requisite  ships.  These  assurances, 
and  the  certainty  that  their  situation  was  known  in  San 
Domingo,  cheered  the  hearts  of  the  people,  and  put  an 
end  to  the  conspiracy. 

Columbus,  however,  was  secretly  indignant  at  the  con 
duct  of  Ovando,  believing  that  he  had  purposely  delayed 
sending  relief,  in  the  hopes  that  he  would  perish  on  the 
island,  being  apprehensive  that,  should  he  return  in  safe 
ty,  he  would  be  reinstated  in  the  government  of  Hispa- 
niola.  He  considered  Escobar  merely  as  a  spy,  sent  by 
the  governor  to  ascertain  whether  he  and  his  crew  were 
yet  in  existence.  Still,  he  endeavored  to  turn  the  event 
to  some  advantage  with  the  rebels.  He  sent  two  of  his 
people  to  inform  them  of  the  promise  of  Ovando  to  send 
ships  for  his  relief,  and  he  offered  them  a  free  pardon 
and  a  passage  to  Hispaniola,  on  condition  of  their  im 
mediate  return  to  obedience. 

On  the  approach  of  the  ambassadors,  Porras  came 
forth  to  meet  them,  accompanied  solely  by  a  few  of  the 
ringleaders  of  his  party,  and  prevented  their  holding  any 
communication  with  the  mass  of  his  people.  In  reply  to 
the  generous  offer  of  the  Admiral,  they  refused  to  return 


320  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

to  the  wreck,  but  agreed  to  conduct  themselves  peaceably 
and  amicably,  on  receiving  a  solemn  promise  that,  should 
two  vessels  arrive,  they  should  have  one  to  depart  in  ; 
should  but  one  arrive,  the  half  of  it  should  be  granted 
to  them  ;  and  that,  in  the  meantime,  the  Admiral  should 
share  with  them  the  sea  stores  and  articles  of  Indian 
traffic  which  remained  in  his  possession.  When  it  was 
observed  that  these  demands  were  extravagant  and  in 
admissible,  they  replied,  that  if  they  were  not  peaceably 
conceded  they  would  take  them  by  force;  and  with  this 
menace  they  dismissed  the  ambassadors. 

The  conference  was  not  conducted  so  privately  but 
that  the  rest  of  the  rebels  learnt  the  whole  purport  of 
the  mission.  Porras,  seeing  them  moved  by  the  offer  of 
pardon  and  deliverance,  resorted  to  the  most  desperate 
falsehoods  to  delude  them.  He  told  them  that  these 
offers  of  the  Admiral  were  all  deceitful  ;  and  that  he  only 
sought  to  get  them  into  his  power,  that  he  might  wreak 
on  them  his  vengeance.  As  to  the  pretended  caravel 
which  had  visited  the  harbor,  he  assured  them  that  it  was 
a  mere  phantasm,  conjured  up  by  the  Admiral,  who  was 
deeply  versed  in  magic.  In  proof  of  this  he  adverted 
to  its  arriving  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening ;  its  holding 
communication  with  no  one  but  the  Admiral,  and  its 
sudden  disappearance  in  the  night.  Had  it  been  a  real 
caravel,  the  crew  would  have  sought  to  converse  with 
their  countrymen ;  the  Admiral,  his  son,  and  brother 
would  have  eagerly  embarked  on  board  ;  at  any  rate,  it 
would  have  remained  a  little  while  in  port,  and  not  have 
vanished  so  suddenly  and  mysteriously. 

By  these  and  similar  delusions,  Porras  succeeded  in 
working  upon  the  feelings  and  credulity  of  his  followers, 
and  persuaded  them  that,  if  they  persisted  in  their  rebel 
lion,  they  would  ultimately  triumph,  and  perhaps  send 


ATTACK   ON    THE  ADELANTADO. 


321 


home  the  Admiral  in  irons,  as  had  once  before  been  done 
from  Hispaniola.  To  involve  them  beyond  hope  of 
pardon  he  marched  them  one  day  towards  the  harbor, 
with  an  intention  of  seizing  upon  the  stores  remaining 
in  the  wreck,  and  getting  the  Admiral  in  his  power. 

Columbus  heard  of  their  approach,  but,  being  confined 
by  his  infirmities,  sent  Don  Bartholomew  to  reason  with 
them  and  endeavor  to  win  them  to  obedience.  The  ade- 
lantado,  who  was  generally  a  man  rather  of  deeds  than 
words,  took  with  him  fifty  men,  well  armed.  Arriving 
near  the  rebels,  he  sent  messengers  to  treat  with  them, 
but  Porras  forbade  them  to  approach.  The  latter  cheered 
his  followers  by  pointing  with  derision  to  the  pale  coun 
tenances  of  their  opponents,  who  were  emaciated  by  recent 
sickness  and  long  confinement  in  the 
wreck,  whereas  his  men,  for  the  most 
part,  were  hardy  sailors,  rendered  ro 
bust  by  living  in  the  open  air.  He 
assured  them  the  followers  of  the  ade- 
lantado  were  mere  household  men,  fair- 
weather  troops,  who  could  never  stand 
before  them.  He  did  not  reflect  that, 
with  such  men,  pride  and  spirit  often 
more  than  supply  the  place  of  bodily 
force  ;  and  that  his  adversaries  had  the 
incalculable  advantage  of  justice  and 
law  upon  their  side. 

Deluded  by  his  words  into  a  transient 
glow  of  courage,  the  rebels  did  not 
wait  to  be  attacked,  but  rushed  with 
shouts  upon  the  enemy.  Six  of  them 
had  made  a  league  to  assault  the  ade- 
lantado,  but  were  so  well  received  that  spANISH  SOLDI£R 
he  laid  several  of  them  dead  at  his  feet,  Redrawn  from 

(21) 


322 


THE   LIFE    Of'    COLUMBUS. 


among  whom  was  Juan  Sanchez,  the 
same  powerful  mariner  who  had  car 
ried  off  the  cacique  Quibian.  In  the 
midst  of  the  affray  the  adelantado 
was  assailed  by  Francisco  Porras,  who, 
with  a  blow  of  his  sword,  cleft  his 
buckler  and  wounded  the  hand  which 
grasped  it.  The  sword  remained 
wedged  in  the  shield ;  and  before  it 
could  be  withdrawn  the  adelantado 
closed  upon  Porras,  grappled  him,  and 
being  assisted  by  others,  succeeded 
in  taking  him  prisoner. 

The  rebels,  seeing  their  leader  a 
captive,  fled  in  confusion,  but  were 
not  pursued,  through  fear  of  an  at 
tack  from  the  Indians,  who  had  re 
mained  drawn  up  in  battle  array,  gaz 
ing  with  astonishment  at  this  fight  between  white  men, 
but  without  offering  to  aid  either  party.  The  adelan 
tado  returned  in  triumph  to  the  wreck,  with  Porras  and 
several  other  prisoners.  Only  two  of  his  own  men  had 
been  wounded,  one  of  whom  died.  On  the  following 
day  the  rebels  sent  in  a  letter  to  the  Admiral,  signed 
by  all  their  names,  confessing  all  their  misdeeds,  implor 
ing  pardon,  and  making  a  solemn  oath  of  obedience,  and 
imprecating  the  most  awful  curses  on  their  heads  should 
they  break  it.  The  Admiral  saw,  by  the  abject  nature 
of  the  letter,  how  completely  the  spirit  of  these  mis 
guided  men  was  broken;  with  his  wonted  magnanimity 
he  pardoned  their  offences,  merely  retaining  their  ring 
leader,  Francisco  Porras,  a  prisoner,  to  be  tried  in  Spain 
for  his  misdeeds. 


SPANISH    SOLDIER. 
Redrawn  from  De  Bry. 


MISSION  OF  DIEGO  MENDEZ.  323 


CHAPTER    XLIII. 

VOYAGE  OF  DIEGO  MENDEZ  TO  HISPANIOLA.— DELIV 
ERANCE  OF  COLUMBUS  FROM  THE  ISLAND  OF  JA 
MAICA.  [1504.] 

IT  is  proper  here  to  give  some  account  of  the  mission 
of  Diego  Mendez  and  Bartholomew  Fiesco.  When  they 
had  taken  leave  of  the  adelantado,  at  the  east  end  of  the 
island  of  Jamaica,  they  continued  all  day  in  a  direct 
course  ;  there  was  no  wind,  the  sky  was  without  a  cloud, 
and  the  sea,  like  a  mirror,  reflected  the  burning  rays  of 
the  sun.  The  Indians  who  paddled  the  canoes  would 
often  leap  into  the  water,  to  cool  their  glowing  bodies 
and  refresh  themselves  from  their  toil.  At  the  going 
down  of  the  sun  they  lost  sight  of  land.  During  the 
night  the  Indians  took  turns,  one  half  to  row  while  the 
others  slept.  The  Spaniards,  in  like  manner,  divided 
their  forces ;  while  some  took  repose,  the  others  sat  with 
their  weapons  in  their  hands,  ready  to  defend  themselves 
in  case  of  any  perfidy  on  the  part  of  their  savage  com 
panions. 

Watching  and  toiling  in  this  way  through  the  night, 
they  were  excessively  fatigued  on  the  following  day  ;  and, 
to  add  to  their  distress,  they  began  to  experience  the 
torments  of  thirst ;  for  the  Indians,  parched  with  heat, 
had  already  drained  the  contents  of  their  calabashes.  In 
proportion  as  the  sun  rose  their  misery  increased,  and 
was  irritated  by  the  prospect  around  them — nothing  but 
water,  while  they  were  perishing  with  thirst.  About 
mid-day,  when  their  strength  was  failing  them,  the  com 
manders  produced  two  small  kegs  of  water,  which  they 


324  THE   LIFE   OF   COLUMBUS. 

had  probably  reserved  in  secret  for  such  an  extremity. 
Administering  a  cooling  mouthful  occasionally,  they  en 
abled  the  Indians  to  resume  their  toils.  They  held  out 
the  hopes  of  soon  arriving  at  a  small  island,  called  Na- 
vasa,  which  lay  directly  in  their  way,  about  eight  leagues 
distant  from  Hispaniola.  Here  they  would  find  water  to 
assuage  their  thirst,  and  would  be  able  to  take  repose. 

The  night  closed  upon  them  without  any  sight  of  the 
island ;  they  feared  that  they  had  deviated  from  their 
course  ;  if  so,  they  should  miss  the  island  entirely,  and 
perish  with  thirst  before  they  could  reach  Hispaniola. 
One  of  the  Indians  died  of  the  accumulated  sufferings 
of  labor,  heat,  and  raging  thirst  ;  others  lay  panting  and 
gasping  at  the  bottom  of  the  canoes.  Their  companions 
were  scarcely  able  to  continue  their  toils.  Sometimes 
they  endeavored  to  cool  their  parched  palates  by  taking- 
sea  water  in  their  mouths  ;  but  its  briny  bitterness  only 
increased  their  thirst.  One  after  another  gave  up,  and  it 
seemed  impossible  that  they  should  live  to  reach  His 
paniola. 

The  commanders,  by  admirable  management,  had 
hitherto  kept  up  this  weary  struggle  with  suffering  and 
despair;  but  they,  too,  began  to  despond.  Diego  Men- 
dez  sat  watching  the  horizon,  which  was  gradually  light 
ing  up  with  those  faint  rays  which  precede  the  rising  of 
the  moon.  As  that  planet  arose,  he  perceived  it  to 
emerge  from  behind  a  dark  mass  elevated  above  the  level 
of  the  ocean.  It  proved  to  be  the  island  of  Navasa,  but 
so  low  and  small  and  distant  that,  had  it  not  been  thus 
revealed  by  the  rising  moon,  he  would  never  have  dis 
covered  it.  He  immediately  gave  the  animating  cry  of 
"  Land  !  "  His  almost  expiring  companions  were  roused 
to  new  life,  and  exerted  themselves  with  feverish  impa 
tience.  By  the  dawn  of  day  they  sprang  on  shore,  and 


MENDEZ  ARRIVES  AT   SAX  DOMINGO.  $2$ 

returned  thanks  to  God  for  their  deliverance.  The  island 
was  a  mere  barren  mass  of  rocks,  but  they  found  abun 
dance  of  rain-water  in  hollow  places.  The  Spaniards  ex 
ercised  some  degree  of  caution  in  their  draughts,  but  the 
poor  Indians,  whose  toils  had  increased  the  fever  of 
their  thirst,  gave  way  to  a  kind  of  frantic  indulgence, 
of  which  several  died  upon  the  spot,  and  others  fell 
dangerously  ill. 

After  reposing  all  day  on  the  island,  where  they  made 
a  grateful  repast  upon  shellfish  gathered  along  the  shore, 
they  set  off  in  the  evening  for  Hispaniola,  the  moun 
tains  of  which  were  distinctly  visible,  and  arrived  at  Cape 
Tiburon  on  the  following  day,  the  fourth  since  their  de 
parture  from  Jamaica.  Fiesco  would  now  have  returned 
to  give  the  Admiral  assurance  of  the  safe  arrival  of  his 
messenger,  but  both  Spaniards  and  Indians  refused  to 
encounter  the  perils  of  another  voyage  in  the  canoes. 

Parting  with  his  companions,  Diego  Mendez  took  six 
Indians  of  the  island,  and  set  off  for  San  Domingo. 
After  proceeding  for  eighty  leagues  against  the  currents, 
he  was  informed  that  the  governor  had  departed  for  Xa- 
ragua,  fifty  leagues  distant.  Still  undaunted  by  fatigues 
and  difficulties,  he  abandoned  the  canoe,  and  proceeded 
alone,  on  foot,  through  forests  and  over  mountains,  until 
he  arrived  at  Xaragua,  achieving  one  of  the  most  perilous 
expeditions  ever  undertaken  by  a  devoted  follower  for 
the  safety  of  his  commander. 

He  found  Ovando  completely  engrossed  by  wars  with 
the  natives.  The  governor  expressed  great  concern  at 
the  unfortunate  situation  of  Columbus,  and  promised  to 
send  him  immediate  relief ;  but  Mendez  remained  for 
seven  months  at  Xaragua,  vainly  urging  for  that  relief, 
or  for  permission  to  go  to  San  Domingo  in  quest  of  it. 
The  constant  excuse  of  Ovando  was  that  there  were  not 


3 2  THE    LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

ships  of  sufficient  burden  in  the  island  to  bring  off  Co- 
lumbus  and  his  men.  At  length,  by  daily  importunity, 
Mendez  obtained  permission  to  go  to  San  Domingo,  and 
await  the  arrival  of  certain  ships  which  were  expected. 
He  immediately  set  out  on  foot  ;  the  distance  was  sev 
enty  leagues,  and  part  of  his  toilsome  journey  lay 
through  forests  and  mountains,  infested  by  hostile  and 
exasperated  Indians.  Immediately  after  his  departure, 
Ovando  dispatched  from  Xaragua  the  pardoned  rebel, 
Escobar,  on  that  reconnoitring  visit  which  caused  so 
much  wonder  and  suspicion  among  the  companions  of 
Columbus. 

If  the  governor  had  really  entertained  hopes  that,  dur 
ing  the  delay  of  relief,  Columbus  might  perish  in  the 
island,  the  report  brought  back  by  Escobar  must  have 
completely  disappointed  him.  No  time  was  now  to  be 
lost,  if  he  wished  to  claim  any  merit  in  his  deliverance, 
or  to  avoid  the  disgrace  of  having  totally  neglected  him. 
His  long  delay  had  already  roused  the  public  indigna 
tion,  insomuch  that  animadversions  had  been  made  upon 
his  conduct,  even  in  the  pulpits.  Diego  Mendez,  also, 
had  hired  and  victualled  a  vessel  at  the  expense  of  Co 
lumbus,  and  was  on  the  point  of  dispatching  it.  The 
governor,  therefore,  exerted  himself,  at  the  eleventh 
hour,  and  fitted  out  a  caravel,  which  he  put  under  the 
command  of  Diego  de  Salcedo,  the  agent  employed  by 
Columbus  to  collect  his  rents  in  San  Domingo.  It  was 
these  two  vessels  which  arrived  at  Jamaica  shortly  after 
the  battle  with  Porras,  and  brought  relief  to  the  Admiral 
and  his  faithful  adherents,  after  a  long  year  of  dismal 
confinement  to  the  wreck.* 

*Some  brief  notice  of  the  further  fortunes  of   Diego  Mendez  may  be  in 
teresting  to  the  reader. 

When  King  Ferdinand   heard   of   his   faithful   services,   he  bestowed  re- 


COLUMBUS  AT  SAN  DOMINGO.  327 

On  the  28th  of  June  all  the  Spaniards  embarked, 
friend  and  foe,  on  board  of  the  vessels,  and  made  sail 
joyfully  for  San  Domingo  ;  but,  from  adverse  winds  and 
currents,  they  did  not  arrive  there  until  the  I3th  of  Aug 
ust.  Whatever  lurking  enmity  there  might  be  to  Co 
lumbus  in  the  place,  it  was  overpowered  by  popular  sym 
pathy  for  his  late  disasters.  Whatever  had  been  denied 
to  his  merits  was  granted  to  his  misfortunes ;  and  even 
the  envious,  appeased  by  his  present  reverses,  seemed  to 
forgive  him  for  having  once  been  so  triumphant. 

The  governor  and  the  principal  inhabitants  came  forth 
to  meet  him,  and  received  him  with  signal  distinction. 
He  was  lodged  in  the  house  of  Ovando,  who  treated  him 
with  the  utmost  courtesy  and  attention ;  but  there  were 
too  deep  causes  of  jealousy  and  distrust  between  them 
for  their  intercourse  to  be  cordial.  Their  powers,  too, 
were  so  defined  in  their  several  patents  as  to  clash  with 
each  other,  and  to  cause  questions  of  jurisdiction.  Ovan 
do  assumed  a  right  to  take  cognizance  of  all  transactions 
at  Jamaica,  as  happening  within  the  limits  of  his  govern 
ment.  He  set  at  liberty  the  traitor  Porras,  and  talked 

wards  upon  him,  and  permitted  him  to  bear  a  canoe  in  his  coat  of  arms,  as 
a  memento  of  his  hardy  enterprise.  He  continued  devotedly  attached  to 
the  Admiral,  serving  him  zealously  after  his  return  to  Spain,  and  during  his 
last  illness.  Columbus  retained  a  grateful  and  affectionate  sense  of  his 
fidelity.  On  his  death-bed  he  promised  Mendez  that  he  should  be  ap 
pointed  principal  alguazil  of  the  island  of  Hispaniola.  The  promise,  how 
ever,  was  not  performed  by  the  heirs  of  Columbus.  Mendez  was  afterwards 
engaged  in  various  voyages  of  discovery,  met  with  many  vicissitudes,  and 
died  poor.  In  his  last  will  he  requested  that  his  armorial  bearing  of  an  In 
dian  canoe  should  be  engraved  on  his  tombstone,  and  under  it  the  follow 
ing  words  :  "  Here  lies  the  honorable  Cavalier,  Diego  Mendez  ;  who  served 
greatly  the  royal  crown  of  Spain,  in  the  conquest  of  the  Indies,  with  Admi 
ral  Christopher  Columbus,  of  glorious  memory,  who  made  the  discovery  ; 
and  afterwards  by  himself,  in  ships  at  his  own  cost.  Bestow,  in  charity,  a 
Paternoster  and  an  Ave  Maria." 


328  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

of  punishing  the  followers  of  Columbus  for  the  deaths  of 
the  mutineers  whom  they  had  slain  in  battle.  Colum 
bus,  on  the  other  hand,  asserted  the  absolute  jurisdiction 
given  him  by  the  sovereigns  in  his  letter  of  instructions, 
over  all  persons  who  had  sailed  in  his  expedition,  from 
the  time  of  their  departure  from  Spain  until  their  return. 
The  governor  heard  him  with  great  courtesy  and  a  smil 
ing  countenance,  but  observed,  that  the  letter  gave  him 
no  authority  within  the  bounds  of  his  government.  He 
relinquished  the  idea,  however,  of  trying  the  faithful  ad 
herents  of  Columbus,  and  sent  Porras  to  Spain,  to  be 
examined  by  the  board  which  had  charge  of  the  affairs 
of  the  Indies. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

AFFAIRS  AT  HISPANIOLA  DURING  THE  ADMINISTRATION 
OF  OVANDO. — RETURN  OF  COLUMBUS  TO  SPAIN. 
[1504.] 

THE  sojourn  of  Columbus  at  San  Domingo  was  but 
little  calculated  to  yield  him  satisfaction.  He  was  grieved 
at  the  desolation  of  the  island,  through  the  oppressive 
treatment  of  the  natives,  and  the  horrible  massacres 
which  had  taken  place  under  the  administration  of  Ovan- 
do.  And  here  let  us  turn  for  a  moment  from  pursuing 
the  story  of  the  Admiral,  to  notice  some  of  the  principal 
occurrences  which  had  taken  place  in  Hispaniola  during 
his  absence. 

A  great  crowd  of  adventurers,  of  various  ranks,  had 
thronged  the  fleet  of  Ovando,  all  confidently  expecting 
to  make  sudden  fortunes.  They  had  scarcely  landed 
when  they  all  hurried  off  to  the  mines,  which  were  about 


SEARCHING  FOR    GOLD.  329 

eight  leagues  distant.  The  road  swarmed  like  an  ant 
hill.  Every  one  had  his  knapsack  of  biscuit  and  flour, 
and  his  mining  implements  on  his  shoulder.  Those 
hidalgoes,  or  gentlemen,  who  had  no  servants  to  carry 
their  burdens,  were  fain  to  bear  them  on  their  own 
backs,  and  lucky  was  he  who  had  a  horse  for  the  ex 
pedition,  for  he  would  be  able  to  bring  back  the  greater 
load  of  treasure.  They  all  set  off  in  high  spirits,  eager 
who  should  first  reach  the  golden  land ;  thinking  they 
had  but  to  arrive  at  the  mines,  and  gather  gold  as  easily 
and  readily  as  fruit  from  the  trees.  When  they  arrived, 
however,  they  found,  to  their  dismay,  that  it  required 
experience  to  discover  the  veins  of  ore  ;  that  the  whole 
process  of  mining  was  exceedingly  slow  and  toilsome, 
and  its  results  precarious. 

They  digged  eagerly  for  a  time,  but  found  no  ore  ; 
growing  hungry,  they  threw  by  their  implements,  sat 
down  to  eat,  and  then  returned  to  work.  It  was  all  in 
vain.  "  Their  labor,"  says  Las  Casas,  "  gave  them  a 
keen  appetite  and  quick  digestion,  but  no  gold."  They 
soon  exhausted  their  provisions  and  their  patience,  and 
returned  murmuring  along  the  road  they  had  lately  trod 
so  exultingly.  They  arrived  at  San  Domingo  half  fam 
ished,  downcast,  and  despairing.  Such  is  too  often  the 
case  of  those  who  ignorantly  engage  in  mining;  which, 
of  all  objects  of  speculation,  is  the  most  brilliant,  promis 
ing,  and  fallacious.  Poverty  soon  fell  upon  these  mis 
guided  men.  Some  wasted  away,  and  died  broken 
hearted  ;  others  were  hurried  off  by  raging  fevers  ;  so 
that  there  soon  perished  upwards  of  a  thousand  men. 

Ovando  was  reputed  a  man  of  great  prudence  and 
sagacity,  and  he  certainly  took  several  judicious  meas 
ures  for  the  regulation  of  the  island  and  the  relief  of  the 
colonists ;  but  his  policy  was  fatal  to  the  natives.  When 


330  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

he  had  been  sent  out  to  supersede  Bobadilla,  the  queen, 
shocked  at  the  cruel  bondage  which  had  been  inflicted 
on  the  Indians,  had  pronounced  them  all  free.  The  con 
sequence  was,  they  immediately  refused  to  labor  in  the 
mines. 

Ovando,  in  1503,  represented  that  this  entire  liberty 
granted  to  the  natives  was  not  merely  ruinous  to  the 
colony  but  detrimental  to  themselves,  as  it  produced 
habits  of  idleness,  profligacy,  and  neglect  of  all  religion. 
The  sovereigns  permitted,  therefore,  that  they  should  be 
obliged  to  labor  moderately,  if  essential  to  their  well- 
being,  but  that  they  should  be  paid  regularly  and  fairly, 
and  instructed  in  religion  on  certain  days,  and  that  all 
compulsory  measures  should  be  tempered  with  persua 
sion  and  kindness.  Under  cover  of  this  hired  labor,  thus 
intended  for  the  health  of  soul  and  body,  more  intoler 
able  toil  was  exacted  from  them  and  more  horrible  cruel 
ties  inflicted  than  in  the  worst  days  of  Bobadilla.  Many 
perished  from  hunger,  or  sank  under  the  lash  ;  many 
killed  themselves  in  despair;  and  even  mothers  over 
came  the  powerful  instinct  of  nature,  and  destroyed  the 
infants  at  their  breasts,  to  spare  them  a  life  of  wretched 
ness.  Even  those-  who  survived  the  exacted  terms  of 
labor  and  were  permitted  to  return  to  their  homes,  which 
were  often  sixty  and  eight}'  leagues  distant,  were  dis 
missed  so  worn  down  by  toil  and  hardship,  and  so 
scantily  furnished  with  provisions,  that  they  perished  by 
the  way.  Some  sank  down  and  died  by  the  side  of  a 
brook,  others  under  the  shade  of  a  tree,  where  they  had 
crawled  for  shelter  from  the  sun.  "  I  have  found  many 
dead  on  the  road,"  says  the  venerable  Bishop  Las  Casas. 
"  others  gasping  under  the  trees,  and  others  in  the  pangs 
of  death,  faintly  crying,  '  Hunger!  hunger!' 

The  wars  of  Ovando  we.e  equally  desolating.     To  pun- 


CRUELTY  OF  OVANDO.  331 

ish  a  slight  insurrection  in  the  province  of  Higuey,  at  the 
eastern  end  of  the  island,  he  sent  his  troops,  who  ravaged 
the  country  with  fire  and  sword,  showed  no  mercy  to  age 
or  sex,  put  many  to  death  with  the  most  wanton,  ingen 
ious,  and  horrible  tortures,  and  brought  off  the  brave 
Cotabanama,  one  of  the  five  sovereign  caciques  of  the 
island,  in  chains  to  San  Domingo,  where  he  was  igno- 
miniously  hanged  by  Ovando  for  the  crime  of  defending 
his  territory  and  his  native  soil  against  usurping  strangers. 

But  the  most  atrocious  act  of  Ovando,  and  one  that 
must  heap  odium  on  his  name  wherever  the  woes  of  the 
gentle  natives  of  Hayti  create  an  interest,  was  the  pun 
ishment  he  inflicted  on  the  province  of  Xaragua  for  a 
pretended  conspiracy.  The  exactions  of  tribute,  in  this 
once  happy  and  hospitable  province,  had  caused  occa 
sional  quarrels  between  the  inferior  caciques  and  the 
Spaniards ;  these  were  magnified  by  alarmists,  and  Ovan 
do  was  persuaded  that  there  was  a  deep-laid  plot  among 
the  natives  to  rise  upon  their  oppressors.  He  immedi 
ately  set  out  for  Xaragua,  at  the  head  of  nearly  four 
hundred  well-armed  soldiers,  seventy  of  whom  were  steel- 
clad  horsemen.  He  gave  out  that  he  was  going  on  a  visit 
of  friendship,  to  make  arrangements  about  the  payment 
of  tribute. 

Behechio,  the  ancient  cacique  of  the  province,  was 
dead,  and  his  sister,  Anacaona,  had  succeeded  to  the 
government.  She  came  forth  to  meet  Ovando,  accord 
ing  to  the  custom  of  her  nation,  attended  by  her 
most  distinguished  subjects,  and  her  train  of  damsels, 
waving  palm  branches,  and  dancing  to  the  cadence  of 
their  popular  areytos.  All  her  principal  caciques  had 
been  assembled  to  do  honor  to  her  guests,  who  for  sev 
eral  days  were  entertained  with  banquets  and  national 
games  and  dances.  In  return  for  these  exhibitions, 


33  2  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

Ovando  invited  Anacaona,  with  her  beautiful  daughter 
Higuenamota,  and  her  principal  subjects,  to  witness  a 
tilting  match  by  the  cavalry  in  the  public  square.  When 
all  were  assembled,  the  square  crowded  with  unarmed 
Indians,  Ovando  gave  a  signal,  and  instantly  the  horse 
men  rushed  into  the  midst  of  the  naked  and  defenceless 
throng,  trampling  them  under  foot,  cutting  them  down 
with  their  swords,  transfixing  them  with  their  lances,  and 
sparing  neither  age  nor  sex.  Above  eighty  caciques  had 
been  assembled  in  one  of  the  principal  houses.  It  was 
surrounded  by  troops,  the  caciques  were  bound  to  the 
posts  which  supported  the  roof,  and  put  to  cruel  tortures, 
until,  in  the  extremity  of  anguish,  they  were  made  to 
admit  the  truth  of  the  plot  with  which  their  queen  and 
themselves  had  been  charged.  When  self-accusation  had 
thus  been  tortured  from  them,  a  horrible  punishment 
was  immediately  inflicted ;  fire  was  set  to  the  house, 
and  they  all  perished  miserably  in  the  flames. 

As  to  Anacaona,  she  was  carried  to  San  Domingo, 
where  the  mockery  of  a  trial  was  given  her,  in  which  she 
was  found  guilty,  on  the  confessions  wrung  by  torture 
from  her  subjects,  and  on  the  testimony  of  their  butchers, 
and  she  was  barbarously  hanged,  by  the  people  whom 
she  had  so  long  and  so  signally  befriended. 

After  the  massacre  at  Xaragua  the  destruction  of  its 
inhabitants  still  went  on  ;  they  were  hunted  for  six  months 
amidst  the  fastnesses  of  the  mountains,  and  their  country 
ravaged  by  horse  and  foot,  until,  all  being  reduced  to 
deplorable  misery  and  abject  submission,  Ovando  pro 
nounced  the  province  restored  to  order,  and,  in  com 
memoration  of  his  triumph,  founded  a  town  near  the 
lake,  which  he  called  Santa  Maria  de  la  Verdadera  Paz 
rSt.  Mary  of  the  True  Peace). 

Such  was  the   tragical   fate  of  the  beautiful  Anacaona, 


CHARACTER  OF  OVANDO.  333 

once  extolled  as  the  Golden  Flower  of  Hayti ;  and  such 
the  story  of  the  delightful  region  of  Xaragua,  a  place 
which  the  Europeans,  by  their  own  account,  found  a 
perfect  paradise,  but  which,  by  their  vile  passions,  they 
filled  with  horror  and  desolation. 

These  are  but  brief  and  scanty  anecdotes  of  the  ruth 
less  system  which  had  been  pursued,  during  the  absence 
of  the  Admiral,  by  the  commander  Ovando,  this  man  of 
boasted  prudence  and  moderation,  who  had  been  sent  to 
reform  the  abuses  of  the  island,  and,  above  all,  to  redress 
the  wrongs  of  the  natives.  The  system  of  Columbus 
may  have  borne  hard  upon  the  Indians,  born  and  brought 
up  as  they  were  in  untasked  freedom,  but  it  was  never 
cruel  or  sanguinary.  He  had  fondly  hoped,  at  one  time, 
to  render  them  civilized,  industrious,  and  tributary  sub 
jects  to  the  crown,  zealous^  converts  to  the  faith,  and  to 
derive  from  their  regular  tributes  a  great  and  steady 
revenue.  How  different  had  been  the  event!  The  five 
great  tribes  which  had  peopled  the  mountains  and  the 
valleys  at  the  time  of  the  discovery,  and  had  rendered, 
by  their  mingled  villages  and  hamlets  and  tracts  of  cul 
tivation,  the  rich  levels  of  the  vegas  so  many  "  painted 
gardens,"  had  almost  all  passed  away,  and  the  native 
princes  had  perished,  chiefly  by  violent  and  ignominious 
deaths.  "  I  am  informed,"  said  he,  in  a  letter  to  the 
sovereigns,  "  that,  since  I  left  this  island,  six  parts  out  of 
seven  of  the  natives  are  dead,  all  through  ill-treatment 
and  inhumanity  ;  some  by  the  sword,  others  by  blows 
and  cruel  usage,  others  through  hunger ;  the  greater  part 
have  perished  in  the  mountains,  whither  they  had  fled, 
from  not  being  able  to  support  the  labor  imposed  upon 
them." 

He  found  his  own  immediate  concerns  in  great  confu 
sion.  His  rents  and  arrears  were  either  uncollected,  or 


w      s 

OJ 


DEPARTURE  FROM  SAN  DOMINGO,  335 

he  could  not  obtain  a  clear  account  and  a  full  liquidation 
of  them  ;  and  he  complained  that  Ovando  had  impeded 
his  agents  in  their  management  of  his  concerns.  The 
continual  misunderstandings  which  took  place  between 
him  and  the  governor,  though  always  qualified  on  the 
part  of  the  latter  with  courtly  complaisance,  induced 
Columbus  to  hasten  his  departure.  He  caused  the  ship 
in  which  he  had  returned  from  Jamaica  to  be  repaired 
and  fitted  out,  and  another  hired,  in  which  he  offered  a 
passage  to  such  of  his  late  crew  as  chose  to  return.  The 
greater  part  preferred  to  remain  in  San  Domingo ;  as 
they  were  in  great  poverty,  he  relieved  their  necessities 
from  his  own  purse,  and  advanced  money  to  those  who 
accompanied  him,  for  the  expenses  of  their  voyage.  All 
the  funds  he  could  collect  were  exhausted  in  these  dis 
bursements,  and  many  of  the  men,  thus  relieved  by  his 
generosity,  had  been  among  the  most  violent  of  the 
rebels. 

On  the  1 2th  of  September  he  set  sail;  but  had  scarce 
ly  left  the  harbor  when  the  mast  of  his  ship  was  carried 
away  in  a  sudden  squall.  He  embarked,  therefore,  with 
his  family  in  the  other  vessel,  commanded  by  the  ade- 
lantado,  and  sent  back  the  damaged  ship  to  port.  Fort 
une  continued  to  persecute  him  to  the  end  of  this,  his 
last  and  most  disastrous  expedition.  Throughout  the 
voyage  he  experienced  tempestuous  weather,  suffering, 
at  the  same  time,  the  excruciating  torments  of  the  gout, 
until,  on  the  ?th  of  November,  his  crazy  and  shattered 
bark  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  San  Lucar.  From  thence 
he  proceeded  to  Seville,  to  enjoy  a  little  tranquillity  of 
mind  and  body,  and  to  recruit  his  health  after  his  long 
series  of  fatigues,  anxieties,  and  hardships. 


THE  LIFE  OF  COLUMBUS. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

FRUITLESS  .APPLICATION  OF  COLUMBUS  TO  BE  REIN 
STATED  IN  HIS  GOVERNMENT. — HIS  LAST  ILLNESS 
AND  DEATH.  [1504.] 

THE  residence  of  Columbus,  during  the  winter,  at 
Seville,  has  generally  been  represented  as  an  interval  of 
repose :  never  was  honorable  repose  more  merited,  more 
desired,  and  less  enjoyed.  Care  and  sorrow  were  des 
tined  to  follow  him,  by  sea  and  land;  and  in  varying  the 
scene  he  but  varied  the  nature  of  his  afflictions.  Ever 
since  his  memorable  arrest  by  Bobadilla  his  affairs  had 
remained  in  confusion,  and  his  rents  and  dues  had  been 
but  partially  and  irregularly  collected,  and  were  detained 
in  intermediate  hands.  The  last  voyage  had  exhausted 
his  finances  and  involved  him  in  embarrassments.  All 
that  he  had  been  able  to  collect  of  the  money  due  to 
him  in  Hispaniola  had  been  expended  in  bringing  home 
many  of  his  late  crew,  and,  for  the  greater  part,  the 
crown  remained  his  debtor.  The  world  thought  him 
possessed  of  countless  wealth,  while  in  fact  he  was  suf 
fering  a  degree  of  penury. 

In  letters  written  at  this  time  to  his  son  Diego,  he 
repeatedly  urges  to  him  the  necessity  of  practicing 
extreme  economy  until  the  arrears  due  to  him  should 
be  paid.  "I  receive  nothing  of  the  revenue  due  to  me," 
says  he  on  another  occasion,  "but  live  by  borrowing. 
Little  have  I  profited  by  twenty  years  of  toils  and  perils, 
since  at  present  I  do  not  own  a  roof  in  Spain.  I  have 
no  resort  but  an  inn  ;  and,  for  the  most  times,  have  not 
wherewithal  to  pay  my  bill." 


INDIFFERENCE   OF   THE   COURT.  337 

Being  unable,  from  his  infirmities,  to  go  to  court,  he 
had  to  communicate  with  the  sovereigns  by  letter,  or 
through  the  intervention  of  friends,  and  exerted  himself 
strenuously,  but  ineffectually,  to  draw  their  attention  to 
the  disastrous  state  of  Hispaniola  under  the  administra 
tion  of  Ovando,  to  obtain  the  restitution  of  his  honors 
and  the  payment  of  his  arrears,  and,  what  seemed  to  lay 
equally  near  his  heart,  to  obtain  relief  for  his  unfortunate 
seamen. 

His  letters  were  unregarded,  or  at  least  unanswered ; 
his  claims  remained  unsatisfied ;  and  a  cold  indifference 
and  neglect  appeared  to  prevail  towards  him.  All  the 
tidings  from  the  court  filled  him  with  uneasiness.  Porras, 
the  ringleader  of  the  late  faction,  had  been  sent  home  by 
Ovando  to  appear  before  the  council  of  the  Indies,  but 
the  official  documents  in  his  cause  had  not  arrived.  He 
went  at  large,  and  being  related  to  Morales,  the  royal 
treasurer,  had  access  to  people  in  place,  and  an  oppor 
tunity  of  enlisting  their  opinions  and  prejudices  on  his 
side.  Columbus  began  to  fear  that  the  violent  scenes 
in  Jamaica  might,  by  the  perversity  of  his  enemies  and 
the  effrontery  of  the  delinquents,  be  wrested  into  mat 
ters  of  accusation  against  him,  as  had  been  the  case  witK 
the  rebellion  of  Roldan.  The  faithful  and  indefatigable 
Diego  Mendez  was  at  this  time  at  court,  and  he  trusted 
to  his  honest  representations  to  counteract  the  falsehoods 
of  Porras.  Nothing  can  surpass  the  affecting  earnestness 
and  simplicity  with  which,  in  one  of  his  letters,  he  de 
clares  his  loyalty.  "  I  have  served  their  majesties,"  says 
he,  "  with  as  much  zeal  and  diligence  as  if  it  had  been 
to  gain  Paradise,  and  if  I  have  failed  in  anything,  it 
has  been  because  my  knowledge  and  powers  went  no 
further."  Whilst  reading  this  touching  appeal  we  can 
scarcely  realize  the  fact  that  it  should  be  written  by 

(22) 


33$  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

Columbus,  the  same  extraordinary  man  who,  but  a  few 
years  before,  had  been  idolized  at  this  court  as  a  bene 
factor,  and  received  with  almost  royal  honors. 

His  anxiety  to  have  a  personal  interview  with  the  sov 
ereigns  became  every  day  more  intense  ;  he  felt  the  ineffi- 
cacy  of  letter  writing;  and,  indeed,  even  that  resource 
began  to  fail  him,  for  the  severity  of  his  malady  for  a 
great  part  of  the  time  deprived  him  of  the  use  of  his 
hands.  He  made  repeated  attempts  to  set  off  for  the 
court ;  a  litter  was  once  actually  at  the  door  to  convey 
him  thither,  but  his  increasing  infirmities  and  the  inclem 
ency  of  the  season  obliged  him  to  abandon  the  journey. 
In  the  meantime,  the  intrigues  of  his  enemies  appeared 
to  be  prevailing;  the  cold-hearted  Ferdinand  treated  all 
his  applications  with  indifference ;  on  the  justice  and 
magnanimity  of  Isabella,  alone,  he  relied  for  the  redress 
of  his  grievances;  but  she  lay  dangerously  ill.  '*  May  it 
please  the  Holy  Trinity,"  says  he,  "  to  restore  our  sover 
eign  queen  to  health  ;  for  by  her  will  everything  be  ad 
justed  which  is  now  in  confusion."  Alas!  while  writing 
that  letter,  his  noble  benefactress  was  a  corpse ! 

The  health  of  Isabella  had  long  been  undermined  by 
repeated  shocks  of  domestic  calamities.  The  death  of 
her  only  son,  the  Prince  Juan  ;  of  her  beloved  daughter 
and  bosom  friend,  the  Princess  Isabella;  and  of  her 
jM-andson  and  prospective  heir,  the  Prince  Miguel,  had 
been  three  cruel  wounds  to  her  maternal  heart.  To 
these  were  added  the  constant  grief  caused  by  the  in 
firmity  of  intellect  of  her  daughter  Juana,  and  the  do 
mestic  unhappincss  of  that  princess  with  her  husband, 
the  Archduke  Philip.  The  desolation  which  walks 
through  palaces  admits  not  the  familiar  sympathies 
and  sweet  consolations  which  alleviate  the  sorrows  of 
common  life.  Isabella  pined  in  state,  amidst  the  ob- 


DEATH  OF  ISABELLA. 


339 


sequious  homage  of  a  court,  surrounded  by  the  trophies 
of  a  glorious  and  successful  reign,  and  placed  at  the 
summit  of  earthly  grandeur.  A  deep  and  incurable  mel 
ancholy  settled  upon  her,  which  undermined  her  con 
stitution,  and  gave  a  fatal  acuteness  to  her  bodily  mala- 


TOMB   OF   FERDINAND   AND    ISABELLA,    GRANADA. 

dies.  After  four  months  of  illness,  she  died,  on  the  26th 
of  November,  1504,  at  Medina  del  Campo,  in  the  fifty- 
fourth  year  of  her  age  ;  but  long  before  her  eyes  closed 
upon  the  world,  her  heart  had  closed  upon  all  its  pomps 
and  vanities.  "Let  my  body,"  said  she,  in  her  will,  "  be 


34O  THE   LIFE    OF    COLUMBUS. 

interred  in  the  monastery  of  San  Francisco,  in  the  Al- 
hambra  of  the  city  of  Granada,  in  a  low  sepulchre,  with 
no  other  monument  than  a  plain  stone,  and  an  inscrip 
tion.  But  I  desire  and  command,  that  if  the  king,  my 
lord,  should  choose  a  sepulchre  in  any  church  or  monas 
tery  in  any  other  part  or  place  of  these  my  kingdoms, 
that  my  body  be  transported  thither,  and  buried  beside 
the  body  of  his  highness;  so  that  the  union  we  have  en 
joyed  while  living,  and  which,  through  the  mercy  of  God, 
we  hope  our  souls  will  experience  in  heaven,  may  be  rep 
resented  by  our  bodies  in  the  earth." 

Such  was  one  of  several  passages  in  the  \vill  of  this 
admirable  woman,  which  bespoke  the  chastened  humility 
of  her  heart,  and  in  which,  as  has  been  well  observed, 
the  affections  of  conjugal  love  were  delicately  entwined 
with  fervent  religion  and  the  most  tender  melancholy. 
She  was  one  of  the  purest  spirits  that  ever  ruled  over 
the  destinies  of  a  nation.  Had  she  been  spared,  her  be 
nignant  vigilance  would  have  prevented  many  a  scene  of 
horror  in  the  colonization  of  the  New  World,  and  might 
have  softened  the  lot  of  its  native  inhabitants.  As  it  is, 
her  fair  name  will  ever  shine  with  celestial  radiance  in 
the  early  dawning  of  its  history. 

The  news  of  the  death  of  Isabella  reached  Columbus 
while  he  was  writing  a  letter  to  his  son.  He  notices  it 
in  a  postscript  or  memorandum,  written  in  the  haste  and 
brevity  of  the  moment,  but  in  beautifully  touching  and 
mournful  terms.  "  A  memorial,"  he  writes,  "  for  thee, 

*  The  dying  command  of  Isabella  has  been  obeyed.  The  author  of  this 
work  has  seen  her  tomb  in  the  royal  chapel  of  the  cathedral  of  Granada, 
in  which  her  remains  are  interred  with  those  of  Ferdinand.  Their  effigies, 
sculptured  in  white  marble,  lie  side  by  side,  on  a  magnificent  sepulchre. 
The  altar  of  the  chapel  is  adorned  with  bas-reliefs  representing  the  con 
quest  and  surrender  of  Granada. 


REMAINS  IN  SEVILLE.  341 

my  dear  son  Diego,  of  what  is  at  present  to  be  done. 
The  principal  thing  is  to  commend  affectionately,  and 
with  great  devotion,  the  soul  of  the  queen,  our  sovereign, 
to  God.  Her  life  was  always  catholic  and  pious,  and 
prompt  to  all  things  in  his  holy  service  ;  for  this  reason 
we  may  rest  assured  that  she  is  received  into  his  glory, 
and  beyond  the  cares  of  this  rough  and  weary  world. 
The  next  thing  is,  to  watch  and  labor  in  all  matters  for 
the  service  of  our  sovereign,  the  king,  and  to  endeavor 
to  alleviate  his  grief.  His  majesty  is  the  head  of  Chris 
tendom.  Remember  the  proverb  which  says,  when  the 
head  suffers,  all  the  members  suffer.  Therefore  all  good 
Christians  should  pray  for  his  health  and  long  life ;  and 
we,  who  are  in  his  employ,  ought  more  than  others  to  do 
this  with  all  study  and  diligence." 

It  is  impossible  to  read  this  letter  without  being  moved 
by  the  simply  eloquent  yet  artless  language  in  which 
Columbus  expresses  his  tenderness  for  the  memory  of 
his  benefactress,  his  weariness  under  the  gathering  cares 
and  ills  of  life,  and  his  persevering  and  enduring  loyalty 
towards  the  sovereign  who  was  so  ungratefully  neglect 
ing  him. 

The  death  of  Isabella  was  a  fatal  blow  to  his  fortunes. 
While  she  lived,  he  had  everything  to  anticipate  from 
her  high  sense  of  justice,  her  regard  for  her  royal  word, 
her  gratitude  for  his  services,  and  her  admiration  of  his 
character.  With  her  illness,  however,  his  interests  had 
languished  ;  and  when  she  died,  he  was  left  to  the  jus 
tice  and  generosity  of  Ferdinand  ! 

During  the  remainder  of  the  winter  and  a  great  part 
of  the  spring  he  remained  at  Seville,  detained  by  painful 
illness.  His  brother,  the  adelantado,  who  supported  him 
with  his  accustomed  fondness  and  devotion  through  all 
his  trials,  proceeded  to  court  to  attend  to  his  concerns, 


342  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

taking  with  him  the  Admiral's  younger  son,  Fernando, 
then  aged  about  seventeen.  The  latter  the  affectionate 
father  repeatedly  represents  to  his  son  Diego  as  a  man 
in  understanding  and  conduct,  though  but  a  stripling  in 
years,  and  inculcates  the  strongest  fraternal  attachment, 
alluding  to  his  own  brethren  with  one  of  those  warm  and 
affecting  touches  which  speak  the  kindness  of  his  heart : 
"To  thy  brother  conduct  thyself  as  the  elder  brother 
should  unto  the  younger.  Thou  hast  no  other,  and  I 
praise  God  that  this  is  such  a  one  as  thou  dost  need. 
Ten  brothers  would  not  be  too  many  for  thee.  Never 
have  I  found  a  better  friend,  to  right  or  left,  than  my 
brothers." 

Among  the  persons  whom  Columbus  employed  at  this 
time  in  his  missions  to  the  court  was  Amerigo  Vespucci. 
He  describes  him  as  a  worthy  but  unfortunate  man,  who 
had  not  profited  as  much  as  he  deserved  by  his  under 
takings,  and  who  had  always  been  disposed  to  render 
him  service. 

It  was  not  until  the  month  of  May  that  Columbus  was 
able  to  accomplish  his  journey  to  court,  which  was  at 
that  time  at  Segovia.  He,  who  but  a  few  years  before 
had  entered  the  city  of  Barcelona  in  triumph,  attended 
by  the  chivalry  of  Spain,  and  hailed  with  rapture  by  the 
multitude,  now  arrived  at  the  gates  of  Segovia,  a  way 
worn,  melancholy,  and  neglected  man  ;  oppressed  even 
more  by  sorrows  than  by  his  years  and  infirmities. 
When  he  presented  himself  at  court  he  was  made  lam 
entably  sensible  of  the  loss  of  his  protectress,  the  benig 
nant  Isabella.  He  met  with  none  of  that  distinguished 
attention,  that  cordial  kindness,  that  cherishing  sympa 
thy,  which  his  unparalleled  services  and  his  recent  suf 
ferings  had  merited.  Ferdinand,  it  is  true,  received 
him  with  many  professions  of  kindness;  but  with  those 


AMERIGO   VESPUCCI. 
Redrawn  from  "  Vita.  €  Lettre  di  Amerigo 


344  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

cold,  ineffectual  smiles  which  pass  like  wintry  sunshine 
over  the  countenance,  and  convey  no  warmth  to  the 
heart. 

Many  months  were  passed  by  Columbus  in  painful  and 
humiliating  solicitation.  His  main  object  was  to  obtain 
the  restitution  of  his  high  offices  as  Viceroy  and  Governor 
of  the  Indies:  as  to  the  mere  pecuniary  claims  for  reve 
nues  and  arrears,  he  considered  them  of  minor  impor 
tance,  and  nobly  offered  to  leave  them  to  the  disposition 
of  the  king;  but  his  official  dignities  belonged  to  his 
reputation  ;  they  had  been  granted,  also,  by  solemn 
treaty,  and  were  not  to  be  made  a  matter  of  arbitra 
ment.  As  the  latter,  however,  were  precisely  the  claims 
which  the  jealous  monarch  was  the  least  disposed  to 
grant,  they  stood  continually  in  the  way  of  all  arrange 
ment.  The  whole  matter  was  at  one  time  referred  to  a 
tribunal  called  the  "Junta  de  Descargos,"  which  had 
charge  of  the  settlement  of  the  affairs  of  the  late  queen, 
but  nothing  resulted  from  their  deliberations;  the  wishes 
of  the  king  were  too  well  known  to  be  thwarted. 

Columbus  endeavored  to  bear  these  delays  with  pa 
tience  ;  but  he  had  no  longer  the  physical  strength  and 
the  glorious  anticipations  which  had  once  sustained  him 
through  his  long  application  at  this  court.  He  was  again 
confined  to  his  bed  by  a  return  of  the  gout,  aggravated 
by  the  irritations  of  his  spirit.  From  this  couch  of  an 
guish  he  addressed  one  more  appeal  to  the  justice  of  the 
king.  He  no  longer  petitioned  for  himself,  but  for  his 
son  Diego.  He  entreated  that  he  might  be  appointed 
in  his  place  to  the  government  of  which  he  had  been 
so  wrongfully  deprived.  u  This,"  said  he,  "  is  a  matter 
which  concerns  my  honor;  as  to  all  the  rest,  do  as  your 
majesty  thinks  proper  ;  give  or  withhold,  as  may  be  most 
for  your  interest,  and  I  shall  be  content.  I  believe  it  is 


PHILIP  AND  JUANA   IN  CASTILE.  345 

the  anxiety  caused  by  the  delay  of  this  affair  which  is  the 
principal  cause  of  my  ill  health." 

This  petition  was  treated  by  Ferdinand  with  his  usual 
evasions  ;  he  endeavored  to  prevail  upon  Columbus  and 
his  son  to  waive  their  claims  to  paramount  dignities  in 
the  New  World,  and  accept,  in  place  thereof,  titles  and 
estates  in  Castile.  Columbus  rejected  all  proposals  of 
the  kind  with  indignation,  as  calculated  to  compromise 
those  titles  which  were  the  trophies  of  ^is  achievements. 
He  saw,  however,  that  all  further  hope  of  redress  from 
Ferdinand  was  vain.  From  the  bed  to  which  he  was 
confined  he  addressed  a  letter  to  his  constant  friend, 
Diego  de  Deza,  then  Archbishop  of  Seville,  expressive 
of  his  despair.  "  It  appears,"  said  he,  "  that  his  majesty 
does  not  think  fit  to  fulfill  that  which  he,  with  the  queen 
who  is  now  in  glory,  promised  me  by  word  and  seal. 
For  me  to  contend  to  the  contrary  would  be  to  contend 
with  the  wind.  I  have  done  all  that  I  could  do.  I  leave 
the  rest  to  God,  whom  I  have  ever  found  propitious  to 
me  in  my  necessities.*' 

In  the  midst  of  illness  and  despondency,  when  both 
life  and  hope  were  expiring  in  the  bosom  of  Columbus, 
a  new  gleam  was  awakened,  and  blazed  up  for  the  mo 
ment  with  characteristic  fervor.  He  heard  with  joy  of 
the  arrival  from  Flanders  of  King  Philip  and  Queen 
Juana,  to  take  possession  of  their  throne  of  Castile.  In 
the  daughter  of  Isabella  he  trusted  to  find  a  patroness 
and  a  friend.  King  Ferdinand  and  all  the  court  repaired 
to  Loredo,  to  receive  the  youthful  sovereigns.  Colum 
bus  sent  his  brother,  the  adelantado,  to  represent  him, 
and  wrote  a  letter  to  the  king  and  queen,  lamenting  his 
being  prevented  by  illness  from  coming  in  person  to  man 
ifest  his  devotion.  He  expressed  a  hope  that  he  should 
receive  at  their  hands  a  restitution  of  his  honors  and 


346  THE   LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

estates ;  and  assured  them  that,  though  cruelly  tortured 
at  present  by  disease,  he  would  yet  be  able  to  render 
them  services,  the  like  of  which  had  never  been  wit 
nessed. 

Such  was  the  last  sally  of  his  sanguine  and  unconquer 
able  spirit  ;  which,  disregarding  age  and  infirmities,  and 
all  past  sorrows  and  disappointments,  spoke  from  his 
dying  bed  with  all  the  confidence  of  youthful  hope,  and 
talked  of  still  greater  enterprises,  as  if  he  had  a  long  and 
vigorous  life  before  him.  The  adelantado  took  an  affec 
tionate  leave  of  his  brother,  whom  he  was  never  to  be 
hold  again,  and  set  out  on  his  mission  to  the  new  sover 
eigns.  He  experienced  the  most  gracious  reception,  and 
flattering  hopes  were  given  him  that  the  claims  of  the 
Admiral  would  speedily  be  satisfied. 

In  the  meantime,  the  cares  and  troubles  of  Columbus 
were  drawing  to  a  close.  The  transient  fire  which  had 
recently  reanimated  him  was  soon  quenched  by  accumu 
lating  infirmities.  Immediately  after  the  departure  of 
the  adelantado  his  illness  increased  in  violence.  Find 
ing  that  his  end  was  approaching,  he  arranged  all  his 
earthly  affairs,  for  the  benefit  of  his  successors.  In  a 
codicil  made  on  the  eve  of  his  decease  he  enforced  his 
original  testament,  constituting  his  son  Diego  his  uni 
versal  heir,  entailing  his  honors  and  estates  on  the  male 
line  of  his  family,  and  providing  for  his  brothers,  Don 
Bartholomew  and  Don  Diego,  and  his  natural  son  Don 
Fernando.  In  his  will  he  enjoined  that  a  portion  of  his 
revenues  should  be  annually  deposited  in  the  bank  of 
St.  George,  at  Genoa,  until  a  sufficient  sum  should  be 
accumulated  to  set  on  foot  a  crusade  to  the  Holy  Land  ; 
for  the  rescue  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  was,  to  the  last,  the 
great  object  of  his  ambition,  and  he  left  a  solemn  charge 
upon  his  heirs  to  aid  personally  in  the  pious  enterprise. 


MONUMENT   TO   COLUMBUS   IN    GENOA. 


THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

Other  provisions  were  made  foj  the  foundation  of 
churches,  the  support  of  Beatrix  Enriquez,  the  mother 
of  Fernando,  the  relief  of  his  poor  relations,  and  the 
payment  of  the  most  trivial  debts. 

Having  thus  scrupulously  attended  to  all  the  claims  of 
affection,  loyalty,  and  justice  upon  earth,  he  turned  his 
thoughts  to  heaven,  confessing  himself,  partaking  of  the 
Holy  Sacrament,  and  complying  with  the  other  ceremo 
nies  of  a  devout  Catholic.  In  his  last  moments  he  was 
attended  by  his  son  Diego  and  a  few  faithful  followers, 
among  whom  was  Bartholomew  Fiesco,  who  had  accom 
panied  Diego  Mendez  in  the  perilous  expedition  from 
Jamaica  to  Hispaniola.  Surrounded  by  these  devoted 
friends,  he  expired  with  great  resignation,  on  the  2oth 
of  May,  1506,  being  about  seventy  years  of  age.  His 
last  words  were,  "  In  manus  tuas,  Domine,  commendo 
spiritum  meum."  "  Into  thy  hands,  O  Lord,  I  commend 
my  spirit." 


CHAPTER   XLVI. 

OBSERVATIONS   ON   THE   CHARACTER   OF   COLUMBUS. 

COLUMBUS  was  a  man  of  great  and  inventive  genius. 
The  operations  of  his  mind  were  energetic,  but  irregular, 
bursting  forth  at  times  with  that  irresistible  force  which 
characterizes  intellects  of  such  an  order.  His  ambition 
was  lofty  and  noble,  inspiring  him  with  high  thoughts, 
and  an  anxiety  to  distinguish  himself  by  great  achieve 
ments.  He  aimed  at  dignity  and  wealth  in  the  same 
elevated  spirit  with  which  he  sought  renown  ;  they  were 
to  rise  from  the  territories  he  should  discover,  and  be 
commensurate  in  importance.  The  vast  gains  that  he 


CHARACTER  OF  COLUMBUS.  349 

anticipated  from  his  discoveries  he  intended  to  appropri 
ate  to  princely  purposes ;  to  institutions  for  the  relief  of 
the  poor  of  his  native  city,  to  the  foundation  of  churches, 
and,  above  all,  to  crusades  for  the  recovery  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre. 

He  was  tenacious  of  his  rank  and  privileges,  not  from 
a  mere  vulgar  love  of  titles,  but  because  he  prized  them 
as  testimonials  and  trophies  of  his  illustrious  deeds. 
Every  question  of  compromise  concerning  them  he  re 
pulsed  with  disdain.  u  These  things,"  said  he,  nobly, 
"  concern  my  honor."  In  his  testament  he  enjoined  on 
his  son  Diego,  and  whomsoever  after  him  should  inherit 
his  estates,  whatever  other  titles  might  be  granted  by 
the  king,  always  to  sign  himself  simply  "  The  Admiral," 
by  way  of  perpetuating  in  the  family  the  source  of  its 
real  greatness. 

His  conduct  was  characterized  by  the  grandeur  of 
his  views  and  the  magnanimity  of  his  spirit.  Instead 
of  ravaging  the  newly  found  countries,  like  many  of  his 
contemporary  discoverers,  who  were  intent  only  on  im 
mediate  gain,  he  regarded  them  with  the  eyes  of  a  legis 
lator;  he  sought  to  colonize  and  cultivate  them,  to  civil 
ize  the  natives,  to  subject  everything  to  the  control  of 
law,  order,  and  religion,  and  thus  to  found  regular  and 
prosperous  empires.  That  he  failed  in  this  was  the  fault 
of  the  dissolute  rabble  which  it  was  his  misfortune  to 
command,  with  whom  all  law  was  tyranny  and  all  order 
oppression. 

He  was  naturally  irritable  and  impetuous,  and  keenly 
sensible  to  injury  and  injustice;  yet  the  quickness  of  his 
temper  was  counteracted  by  the  benevolence  and  gener 
osity  of  his  heart.  The  magnanimity  of  his  nature  shone 
forth  through  all  the  troubles  of  his  stormy  career. 
Though  continually  outraged  in  his  dignity,  braved  in  his 


350  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

authority,  foiled  in  his  plans,  and  endangered  in  his  per 
son  by  the  seditions  of  turbulent  and  worthless  men,  and 
that,  too,  at  times  when  suffering  under  anguish  of  body 
and  anxiety  of  mind  enough  to  exasperate  the  most 
patient,  yet  he  restrained  his  valiant  and  indignant  spirit, 
and  brought  himself  to  forbear  and  reason,  and  even  to 
supplicate.  Nor  should  we  fail  to  notice  how  free  he 
was  from  all  feeling  of  revenge,  how  ready  to  forgive  and 
forget  on  the  least  signs  of  repentance  and  atonement. 
He  has  been  extolled  for  his  skill  in  controlling  others, 
but  far  greater  praise  is  due  to  him  for  the  firmness  he 
displayed  in  governing  himself. 

His  piety  was  genuine  and  fervent ;  religion  mingled 
with  the  whole  course  of  his  thoughts  and  actions,  and 
shone  forth  in  his  most  private  and  unstudied  writings. 
Whenever  he  made  any  great  discovery,  he  devoutly 
returned  thanks  to  God.  The  voice  of  prayer  and  the 
melody  of  praise  rose  from  his  ships  on  discovering 
the  New  World,  and  his  first  action  on  landing  was  to 
prostrate  himself  upon  the  earth,  and  offer  up  thanks 
givings.  Every  evening,  the  Salve  Regina  and  other 
vesper  hymns  were  chanted  by  his  crew,  and  masses 
were  performed  in  the  beautiful  groves  that  bordered 
the  wild  shores  of  this  heathen  land.  All  his  great 
enterprises  were  undertaken  in  the  name  of  the  Holy 
Trinity,  and  he  partook  of  the  Holy  Sacrament  previ 
ous  to  embarkation.  He  observed  the  festivals  of  the 
Church  in  the  wildest  situations.  The  Sabbath  was  to 
him  a  day  of  sacred  rest,  on  which  he  would  never  sail 
from  a  port  unless  in  case  of  extreme  necessity.  The 
religion  thus  deeply  seated  in  his  soul  diffused  a  sober 
dignity  and  a  benign  composure  over  his  whole  deport 
ment  ;  his  very  language  was  pure  and  guarded,  and  free 
from  all  gross  or  irreverent  expressions. 


CHARACTER   OF  COLUMBUS.  35 1 

It  cannot  be  denied,  however,  that  his  piety  was  min 
gled  with  superstition  and  darkened  by  the  bigotry  of 
the  age.  He  evidently  concurred  in  the  opinion  that  all 
the  nations  who  did  not  acknowledge  the  Christian  faith 
were  destitute  of  natural  rights  ;  and  that  the  sternest 
measures  might  be  used  for  their  conversion,  and  the 
severest  punishments  inflicted  upon  them,  if  obstinate 
in  unbelief.  In  this  spirit  of  bigotry  he  considered  him 
self  justified  in  making  captives  of  the  Indians  and  trans 
porting  them  to  Spain,  to  have  them  taught  the  doctrines 
of  Christianity,  and  in  selling  them  for  slaves  if  they  pre 
tended  to  resist  his  invasions.  In  doing  the  latter  he 
sinned  against  the  natural  goodness  of  his  heart,  and 
against  the  feelings  he  had  originally  entertained  and  ex 
pressed  towards  this  gentle  and  hospitable  people ;  but 
he  was  goaded  on  by  the  mercenary  impatience  of  the 
crown,  and  by  the  sneers  of  his  enemies  at  the  unprofit 
able  result  of  his  enterprises.  It  is  but  justice  to  his 
character  to  observe  that  the  enslavement  of  the  Indians 
thus  taken  in  battle  was  at  first  openly  countenanced  by 
the  crown,  and  that,  when  the  question  of  right  came  to 
be  discussed  at  the  request  of  the  queen,  several  of  the 
most  distinguished  jurists  and  theologians  advocated  the 
practice ;  so  that  the  question  was  finally  settled  in  favor 
of  the  Indians  solely  by  the  humanity  of  Isabella.  As 
the  venerable  Bishop  Las  Casas  observes,  where  the 
most  learned  men  have  doubted,  it  is  not  surprising  that 
an  unlearned  mariner  should  err. 

These  remarks,  in  palliation  of  the  conduct  of  Colum 
bus,  are  required  by  candor.  It  is  proper  to  show  him 
in  connection  with  the  age  in  which  he  lived,  lest  the 
errors  of  the  times  should  be  considered  his  individual 
faults.  It  is  not  intended,  however,  to  justify  him  on 
a  point  where  it  is  inexcusable  to  err.  Let  it  remain  a 


35 2  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

blot  on  his  illustrious  name,  and  let  others  derive  a 
lesson  from  it. 

A  peculiar  trait  in  his  rich  and  varied  character  re 
mains  to  be  noticed  ;  namely,  that  ardent  and  enthusi 
astic  imagination  which  threw  a  magnificence  over  his 
whole  course  of  thought.  A  poetical  temperament  is  dis 
cernible  throughout  all  his  writings  and  in  all  his  actions. 
We  see  it  in  all  his  descriptions  of  the  beauties  of  the 
wild  lands  he  was  discovering  ;  in  the  enthusiasm  with 
which  he  extols  the  verdure  of  the  forests,  the  grandeur 
of  the  mountains,  and  the  crystal  clearness  of  the  run 
ning  streams;  the  blandness  of  the  temperature,  the 
purity  of  the  atmosphere,  and  the  fragrance  of  the  air, 
"  full  of  dew  and  sweetness."  It  spread  a  golden  and 
glorious  world  around  him,  and  tinged  everything  with 
its  own  gorgeous  colors.  It  betrayed  him  into  vision 
ary  speculations,  which  subjected  him  to  the  sneers  and 
cavils  of  men  of  cooler  and  safer,  but  more  grovelling, 
minds.  Such  were  the  conjectures  formed  on  the  coast 
of  Paria,  about  the  form  of  the  earth  and  the  situation 
of  the  terrestrial  Paradise  ;  about  the  mines  of  Ophir, 
and  the  Aurea  Chersonesus  of  the  ancients ;  and  such 
was  the  heroic  scheme  of  a  crusade  for  the  recovery  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre.  It  filled  his  mind  with  solemn  and 
visionary  meditations  on  mystic  passages  of  the  Script 
ures,  and  on  the  shadowy  portents  of  the  prophecies. 
It  exalted  his  own  office  in  his  eyes,  and  made  him  con 
ceive  himself  an  agent  sent  forth  upon  a  sublime  and 
awful  mission,  and  subject  to  mysterious  intimations 
from  the  Deity ;  such  as  the  voice  which  he  imagined 
spoke  to  him  in  comfort  amidst  the  troubles  of  His- 
paniola,  and  in  the  silence  of  the  night  on  the  disas 
trous  coast  of  Veragua. 

He    was    decidedly   a  visionary,  but  a  visionary  of  an 


CHARACTER   OF  COLUMBUS.  353 

uncommon  kind,  and  successful  in  his  dreams.  The 
manner  in  which  his  ardent  imagination  and  mercurial 
nature  were  controlled  by  a  powerful  judgment  and  di 
rected  by  an  acute  sagacity  is  the  most  extraordinary 
feature  in  his  character.  Thus  governed,  his  imagina 
tion,  instead  of  exhausting  itself  in  idle  flights,  lent  aid 
to  his  judgment  and  enabled  him  to  form  conclusions 
at  which  common  minds  could  never  have  arrived — nay, 
which  they  could  not  perceive  when  pointed  out. 

To  his  intellectual  vision  it  was  given  to  read  the  signs 
of  the  times,  and  to  trace  in  the  conjectures  and  reve 
ries  of  past  ages  the  indications  of  an  unknown  world, 
as  soothsayers  were  said  to  read  predictions  in  the  stars, 
and  to  foretell  events  from  the  visions  of  the  night. 
"  His  soul,"  observes  a  Spanish  writer,  "  was  superior  to 
the  age  in  which  he  lived.  For  him  was  reserved  the 
great  enterprise  of  traversing  a  sea  which  had  given  rise 
to  so  many  fables,  and  of  deciphering  the  mystery  of  his 
age." 

With  all  the  visionary  fervor  of  his  imagination,  its 
fondest  dreams  fell  short  of  the  reality.  He  died  in  igno 
rance  of  the  real  grandeur  of  his  discovery!  Until  his 
last  breath,  he  entertained  the  idea  that  he  had  merely 
opened  a  new  way  to  the  old  resorts  of  opulent  com 
merce,  and  had  discovered  some  of  the  wild  regions  of 
the  East.  He  supposed  Hispaniola  to  be  the  ancient 
Ophir,  which  had  been  visited  by  the  ships  of  King  Sol 
omon,  and  that  Cuba  and  Terra  Firma  were  but  remote 
parts  of  Asia.  What  visions  of  glory  would  have  broken 
upon  his  mind  could  he  have  known  that  he  had  indeed 
discovered  a  new  continent,  equal  to  the  old  world  in 
magnitude,  and  separated  by  two  vast  oceans  from  all 
the  earth  hitherto  known  by  civilized  man  !  And  how 
would  his  magnanimous  spirit  have  been  consoled,  amidst 

(23) 


354  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

the  afflictions  of  age  and  the  cares  of  penury,  the  neg 
lect  of  a  fickle  public  and  the  injustice  of  an  ungrate 
ful  king,  could  he  have  anticipated  the  splendid  empires 
which  would  arise  in  the  beautiful  world  he  had  discov 
ered  ;  and  the  nations  and  tongues  and  languages  which 
were  to  fill  its  lands  with  his  renown,  and  to  revere  and 
bless  his  name  to  the  latest  posterity ! 


A  VISIT   TO   PALOS. 

[THE  following  narrative  was  actually  commenced,  by  the  author  of  this 
work,  as  a  letter  to  a  friend,  but  unexpectedly  swelled  to  its  present  size. 
He  has  been  induced  to  insert  it  here  from  the  idea  that  many  will  feel  the 
same  curiosity  to  know  something  of  the  present  state  of  Palos  and  its 
inhabitants  that  led  him  to  make  the  journey.] 

SEVILLE,  1828. 

SINCE  I  last  wrote  to  you  I  have  made  what  I  may 
term  an  American  Pilgrimage,  to  visit  the  little  port  of 
Palos  in  Andalusia,  where  Columbus  fitted  out  his  ships, 
and  whence  he  sailed  for  the  discovery  of  the  New  World. 
Need  I  tell  you  how  deeply  interesting  and  gratifying  it 
has  been  to  me?  I  had  long  meditated  this  excursion, 
as  a  kind  of  pious,  and,  if  I  may  so  say,  filial  duty  of  an 
American,  and  my  intention  was  quickened  when  I  learnt 
that  many  of  the  edifices  mentioned  in  the  "  History  of 
Columbus "  still  remained  in  nearly  the  same  state  in 
which  they  existed  at  the  time  of  his  sojourn  at  Palos, 
and  that  the  descendants  of  the  intrepid  Pinzons,  who 
aided  him  with  ships  and  money,  and  sailed  with  him 
on  the  great  voyage  of  discovery,  still  flourished  in  the 
neighborhood. 

The  very  evening  before  my  departure  from  Seville, 
on  the  excursion,  I  heard  that  there  was  a  young  gentle 
man  of  the  Pinzon  family  studying  law  in  the  city.  I 
got  introduced  to  him,  and  found  him  of  most  prepos 
sessing  appearance  and  manners.  He  gave  me  a  letter 
of  introduction  to  his  father,  Don  Juan  Fernandez  Pin- 


3  $6  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

zon,  resident  of  Moguer,  and  the  present  head  of  the 
.family. 

As  it  was  in  the  middle  of  August,  and  the  weather 
intensely  hot,  I  hired  a  calesa  for  the  journey.  This  is 
a  two-wheeled  carriage  resembling  a  cabriolet,  but  of  the 
most  primitive  and  rude  construction ;  the  harness  is 
profusely  ornamented  with  brass,  and  the  horse's  head 
decorated  with  tufts  and  tassels  and  dangling  bobs  of 
scarlet  and  yellow  worsted.  I  had,  for  calasero,  a  tall, 
long-legged  Andalusian,  in  short  jacket,  little,  round- 
crowned  hat,  breeches  decorated  with  buttons  from  the 
hip  to  the  knees,  and  a  pair  of  russet-leather  bottinas, 
or  spatterdashes.  He  was  an  active  fellow,  though  un 
commonly  taciturn  for  an  Andalusian,  and  strode  along 
beside  his  horse,  rousing  him  occasionally  to  greater  speed 
by  a  loud  malediction  or  a  hearty  thwack  of  his  cudgel. 

In  this  style  I  set  off,  late  in  the  day,  to  avoid  the 
noontide  heat,  and  after  ascending  the  lofty  range  of 
hills  that  borders  the  great  valley  of  the  Guadalquivir, 
and  having  a  rough  ride  among  their  heights,  I  descended 
about  twilight  into  one  of  those  vast,  silent,  melancholy 
plains,  frequent  in  Spain,  where  I  beheld  no  other  signs 
of  life  than  a  roaming  flock  of  bustards  and  a  distant 
herd  of  cattle,  guarded  by  a  solitary  herdsman,  who, 
with  a  long  pike  planted  in  the  earth,  stood  motionless 
in  the  midst  of  the  dreary  landscape,  resembling  an  Arab 
of  the  desert.  The  night  had  somewhat  advanced  when 
we  stopped  to  repose,  for  a  few  hours,  at  a  solitary  venta 
or  inn,  if  it  might  so  be  called,  being  nothing  more  than 
a  vast,  low-roofed  stable,  divided  into  several  compart 
ments  for  the  reception  of  the  troops  of  mules  and  arri- 
eros  (or  carriers)  who  carry  on  the  internal  trade  of  Spain. 
Accommodation  for  the  traveller  there  was  none — not 
even  for  a  traveller  so  easily  accommodated  as  myself. 


A    VISIT   TO  PALOS.  357 

The  landlord  had  no  food  to  give  me,  and  as  to  a  bed, 
he  had  none  but  a  horse-cloth,  on  which  his  only  child, 
a  boy  of  eight  years  old,  lay  naked  on  the  earthen  floor. 
Indeed,  the  heat  of  the  weather  and  the  fumes  from  the 
stables  made  the  interior  of  the  hovel  insupportable,  so 
I  was  fain  to  bivouac  on  my  cloak  on  the  pavement  at 
the  door  of  the  venta,  where,  on  waking  after  two  or 
three  hours  of  sound  sleep,  I  found  a  contrabandista  (or 
smuggler)  snoring  beside  me,  with  his  blunderbuss  on  his 
arm. 

I  resumed  my  journey  before  break  of  day,  and  had 
made  several  leagues  by  ten  o'clock,  when  we  stopped 
to  breakfast,  and  to  pass  the  sultry  hours  of  mid-day,  in 
a  large  village,  from  whence  we  departed  about  four 
o'clock,  and  after  passing  through  the  same  kind  of  soli 
tary  country,  arrived  just  after  sunset  at  Moguer.  This 
little  city  (for  at  present  it  is  a  city)  is  situated  about 
a  league  from  Palos,  of  which  place  it  has  gradually 
absorbed  all  the  respectable  inhabitants,  and,  among  the 
number,  the  whole  family  of  the  Pinzons. 

So  remote  is  this  little  place  from  the  stir  and  bustle 
of  travel,  and  so  destitute  of  the  show  and  vainglory  of 
this  world,  that  my  calesa,  as  it  rattled  and  jingled  along 
the  narrow  and  ill-paved  streets,  caused  a  great  sensation  ; 
the  children  shouted  and  scampered  along  by  its  side, 
admiring  its  splendid  trappings  of  brass  and  worsted,  and 
gazing  with  reverence  at  the  important  stranger  who 
came  in  so  gorgeous  an  equipage. 

I  drove  -jp  to  the  principal  posada,  the  landlord  of 
which  was  at  the  door.  He  was  one  of  the  very  civilest 
men  in  the  world,  and  disposed  to  do  everything  in  his 
power  to  make  me  comfortable ;  there  was  only  one  diffi 
culty,  he  had  neither  bed  nor  bedroom  in  his  house. 
In  fact,  it  was  a  mere  venta  for  muleteers,  who  are  accus- 


358  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

tomed  to  sleep  on  the  ground  with  their  mule-cloths  for 
beds  and  pack-saddles  for  pillows.  It  was  a  hard  case, 
but  there  was  no  better  posada  in  the  place.  Few  people 
travel  for  pleasure  or  curiosity  in  these  out-of-the-way 
parts  of  Spain,  and  those  of  any  note  are  generally  re 
ceived  into  private  houses.  I  had  travelled  sufficiently  in 
Spain  to  find  out  that  a  bed,  after  all,  is  not  an  article  of 
indispensable  necessity,  and  was  about  to  bespeak  some 
quiet  corner  where  I  might  spread  my  cloak,  when,  fortu 
nately,  the  landlord's  wife  came  forth.  She  could  not 
have  a  more  obliging  disposition  than  her  husband,  but 
then — God  bless  the  women  ! — they  always  know  how 
to  carry  their  good  wishes  into  effect.  In  a  little  while 
a  small  room,  about  ten  feet  square,  that  had  formed  a 
thoroughfare  between  the  stables  and  a  kind  of  shop  or 
bar-room,  was  cleared  of  a  variety  of  lumber,  and  I  was 
assured  that  a  bed  should  be  put  up  there  for  me.  From 
the  consultations  I  saw  my  hostess  holding  with  some  of 
her  neighbor  gossips,  I  fancied  the  bed  was  to  be  a  kind 
of  piecemeal  contribution  among  them,  for  the  credit  of 
the  house. 

As  soon  as  I  could  change  my  dress  I  commenced  the 
historical  researches  which  were  the  object  of  my  jour 
ney,  and  inquired  for  the  abode  of  Don  Juan  Fernandez 
Pinzon.  My  obliging  landlord  himself  volunteered  to 
conduct  me  thither,  and  I  set  off  full  of  animation  at 
the  thoughts  of  meeting  with  a  lineal  representative  of 
one  of  the  coadjutors  of  Columbus. 

A  short  walk  brought  us  to  the  house,  which  was  most 
respectable  in  its  appearance,  indicating  easy,  if  not  afflu 
ent,  circumstances.  The  door,  as  is  customary  in  Span 
ish  villages,  during  summer,  stood  wide  open.  We  en 
tered  with  the  usual  salutation,  or  rather  summons,  "  Ave 
Maria!"  A  trim  Andalusian  handmaid  answered  to  the 


A    VISIT   TO  PA  LOS.  359 

call,  and,  on  our  inquiring  for  the  master  of  the  house, 
led  the  way  across  a  little  patio,  or  court,  in  the  centre  of 
the  edifice,  cooled  by  a  fountain  surrounded  by  shrubs 
and  flowers,  to  a  back  court  or  terrace,  likewise  set  out 
with  flowers,  where  Don  Juan  Fernandez  was  seated 
with  his  family,  enjoying  the  serene  evening  in  the  open 
air. 

I  was  much  pleased  with  his  appearance.  He  was  a 
venerable  old  gentleman,  tall  and  somewhat  thin,  with 
fair  complexion  and  gray  hair.  He  received  me  with 
great  urbanity,  and  on  reading  the  letter  from  his  son, 
appeared  struck  with  surprise  to  find  I  had  come  quite  to 
Moguer,  merely  to  visit  the  scene  of  the  embarkation  of 
Columbus ;  and  still  more  so  on  my  telling  him  that  one 
of  my  leading  objects  of  curiosity  was  his  own  family 
connection  ;  for  it  would  seem  that  the  worthy  cavalier 
had  troubled  his  head  but  little  about  the  enterprises  of 
his  ancestors. 

I  now  took  my  seat  in  the  domestic  circle,  and  soon 
felt  myself  quite  at  home,  for  there  is  generally  a  frank 
ness  in  the  hospitality  of  the  Spaniards  that  soon  puts 
a  stranger  at  his  ease  beneath  their  roof.  The  wife  of 
Don  Juan  Fernandez  was  extremely  amiable  and  affable, 
possessing  much  of  that  natural  aptness  for  which  the 
Spanish  women  are  remarkable.  In  the  course  of  con 
versation  with  them  I  learnt  that  Don  Juan  Fernandez, 
who  is  seventy-two  years  of  age,  is  the  eldest  of  five 
brothers,  all  of  whom  are  married,  have  'numerous  off 
spring,  and  live  in  Moguer  and  its  vicinity,  in  nearly  the 
same  condition  and  rank  of  life  as  at  the  time  of  the  dis 
covery.  This  agreed  with  what  I  had  previously  heard 
respecting  the  families  of  the  discoverers.  Of  Columbus 
no  lineal  and  direct  descendant  exists  ;  his  was  an  exotic 
stock  that  never  took  deep  and  lasting  root  in  the  coun- 


THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

try  ;  but  the  race  of  the  Pinzons  continues  to  thrive  and 
multiply  in  its  native  soil. 

While  I  was  yet  conversing  a  gentleman  entered,  who 
was  introduced  to  me  as  Don  Luis  Fernandez  Pinzon, 
the  youngest  of  the  brothers.  He  appeared  to  be  be 
tween  fifty  and  sixty  years  of  age,  somewhat  robust,  with 
fair  complexion  and  gray  hair,  and  a  frank  and  manly 
deportment.  He  is  the  only  one  of  the  present  genera 
tion  that  has  followed  the  ancient  profession  of  the  fam 
ily,  having  served  with  great  applause  as  an  officer  of 
the  royal  navy,  from  which  he  retired  on  his  marriage, 
about  twenty-two  years  since.  He  is  the  one,  also,  who 
takes  the  greatest  interest  and  pride  in  the  historical 
honors  of  his  house,  carefully  preserving  all  the  legends 
and  documents  of  the  achievements  and  distinctions  of 
his  family,  a  manuscript  volume  of  which  he  lent  to  me 
for  my  inspection. 

Don  Juan  now  expressed  a  wish  that,  during  my  resi 
dence  in  Moguer,  I  would  make  his  house  my  home.  I 
endeavored  to  excuse  myself,  alleging  that  the  good  peo 
ple  at  the  posada  had  been  at  such  extraordinary  trouble 
in  preparing  quarters  for  me  that  I  did  not  like  to  dis 
appoint  them.  The  worthy  old  gentleman  undertook 
to  arrange  all  this,  and,  while  supper  was  preparing,  we 
walked  together  to  the  posada.  I  found  that  my  oblig 
ing  host  and  hostess  had  indeed  exerted  themselves  to 
an  uncommon  degree.  An  old  rickety  table  had  been 
spread  out  in  a  corner  of  the  little  room  as  a  bedstead, 
on  top  of  which  was  propped  up  a  grand  cama  dc  hixo,  or 
state  bed,  which  appeared  to  be  the  admiration  of  the 
house.  I  could  not,  for  the  soul  of  me,  appear  to  under 
value  what  the  poor  people  had  prepared  with  such 
hearty  good-will,  and  considered  such  a  triumph  of  art 
and  luxury  ;  so  I  again  entreated  Don  Juan  to  dispense 


A    VISIT   TO  PALOS.  3^1 

with  my  sleeping  at  his  house,  promising  most  faithfully 
to  make  my  meals  there  whilst  I  should  stay  at  Moguer; 
and  as  the  old  gentleman  understood  my  motives  for  de 
clining  his  invitation,  and  felt  a  good-humored  sympathy 
in  them,  we  readily  arranged  the  matter.  I  returned, 
therefore,  with  Don  Juan  to  his  house,  and  supped  with 
his  family.  During  the  repast  a  plan  was  agreed  upon 
for  my  visit  to  Palos,  and  to  the  convent  La  Rabida,  in 
which  Don  Juan  volunteered  to  accompany  me  and  be 
my  guide,  and  the  following  day  was  allotted  to  the  ex 
pedition.  We  were  to  breakfast  at  a  hacienda,  or  coun 
try  seat,  which  he  possessed  in  the  vicinity  of  Palos,  in 
the  midst  of  his  vineyards,  and  were  to  dine  there  on 
our  return  from  the  convent.  These  arrangements  being 
made,  we  parted  for  the  night  ;  I  returned  to  the  posadaj 
highly  gratified  with  my  visit,  and  slept  soundly  in  the 
extraordinary  bed  which,  I  may  almost  say,  had  been 
invented  for  my  accommodation. 

On  the  following  morning,  bright  and  early,  Don  Juan 
Fernandez  and  myself  set  off  in  the  calesa  for  Palos.  I 
felt  apprehensive,  at  first,  that  the  kind-hearted  old  gen 
tleman,  in  his  anxiety  to  oblige,  had  left  his  bed  at  too 
early  an  hour,  and  was  exposing  himself  to  fatigues  un- 
suited  to  his  age.  He  laughed  at  the  idea,  and  assured 
me  that  he  was  an  early  riser,  and  accustomed  to  all 
kinds  of  exercise  on  horse  arid  foot,  being  a  keen  sports 
man,  and  frequently  passing  days  together  among  the 
mountains  on  shooting  expeditions,  taking  with  him  ser 
vants,  horses,  and  provisions,  and  living  in  a  tent.  He 
appeared,  in  fact,  to  be  of  an  active  habit,  and  to  possess 
a  youthful  vivacity  of  spirit.  His  cheerful  disposition 
rendered  our  morning  drive  extremely  agreeable  ;  his  ur 
banity  was  shown  to  every  one  whom  we  met  on  the 
road  ;  even  the  common  peasant  was  saluted  by  him  with 


32  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

the  appellation  of  caballcro,  a  mark  of  respect  ever  grati 
fying  to  the  poor  but  proud  Spaniard,  when  yielded  by  a 
superior. 

As  the  tide  was  out,  we  drove  along  the  flat  grounds 
bordering  the  Tinto.  The  river  was  on  our  right, 
while  on  our  left  was  a  range  of  hills,  jutting  out  into 
promontories,  one  beyond  the  other,  and  covered  with 
vineyards  and  fig-trees.  The  weather  was  serene,  the 
air  soft  and  balmy,  and  the  landscape  of  that  gentle  kind 
calculated  to  put  one  in  a  quiet  and  happy  humor.  We 
passed  close  by  the  skirts  of  Palos,  and  drove  to  the 
hacienda,  which  is  situated  at  some  little  distance  from 
the  village,  between  it  and  the  river.  The  house  is 
a  low  stone  building,  well  whitewashed,  and  of  great 
length ;  one  end  being  fitted  up  as  a  summer  residence, 
with  saloons,  bedrooms,  and  a  domestic  chapel  ;  and  the 
other  as  a  bodega,  or  magazine  for  the  reception  of  the 
wine  produced  on  the  estate. 

The  house  stands  on  a  hill,  amidst  vineyards  which 
are  supposed  to  cover  a  part  of  the  site  of  the  ancient 
town  of  Palos,  now  shrunk  to  a  miserable  village.  Be 
yond  these  vineyards,  on  the  crest  of  a  distant  hill,  are 
seen  the  white  walls  of  the  Convent  of  La  Rabida,  rising 
above  a  dark  wood  of  pine-trees. 

Below  the  hacienda  flows  the  river  Tinto,  on  which 
Columbus  embarked.  It  is  divided  by  a  low  tongue 
of  land,  or  rather  the  sand-bar  of  Saltes,  from  the  river 
Odiel,  with  which  it  soon  mingles  its  waters,  and  flows  on 
to  the  ocean.  Beside  this  sand-bar,  where  the  channel 
of  the  river  runs  deep,  the  squadron  of  Columbus  was 
anchored,  and  from  hence  he  made  sail  on  the  morning 
of  his  departure. 

The  soft  breeze  that  was  blowing  scarcely  ruffled  the 
surface  of  this  beautiful  river  ;  two  or  three  picturesque 


A    VISIT  TO  PA  LOS. 

barks,  called  mysticks,  with  long  lateen  sails,  were  gliding 
down  it.  A  little  aid  of  the  imagination  might  suffice  to 
picture  them  as  the  light  caravels  of  Columbus,  sallying 
forth  on  their  eventful  expedition,  while  the  distant  bells 
of  the  town  of  Huelva,  which  were  ringing  melodiously, 
might  be  supposed  as  cheering  the  voyagers  with  a  fare 
well  peal. 

I  cannot  express  to  you  what  were  my  feelings,  on 
treading  the  shore  which  had  once  been  animated  by  the 
bustle  of  departure,  and  whose  sands  had  been  printed 
by  the  last  footstep,  of  Columbus.  The  solemn  and  sub 
lime  nature  of  the  event  that  had  followed,  together 
with  the  fate  and  fortunes  of  those  concerned  in  it,  filled 
;he  mind  with  vague  yet  melancholy  ideas.  It  was  like 
viewing  the  silent  and  empty  stage  of  some  great  drama, 
when  all  the  actors  had  departed.  The  very  aspect  of 
the  landscape,  so  tranquilly  beautiful,  had  an  effect  upon 
m.j ;  and  as  I  paced  the  deserted  shore,  by  the  side  of  a 
descendant  of  one  of  the  discoverers,  I  felt  my  heart 
swelling  with  emotions  and  my  eyes  filling  with  tears. 

What  surprised  me  was  to  find  no  semblance  of  a 
seaport;  there  was  neither  wharf  nor  landing-place — 
nothing  but  a  naked  river  bank,  with  the  hulk  of  a  ferry 
boat,  which  I  was  told  carried  passengers  to  Huelva, 
lying  high  and  dry  on  the  sands,  deserted  by  the  tide. 
Palos,  though  it  has  doubtless  dwindled  away  from  its 
former  size,  can  never  have  been  important  as  to  extent 
and  population.  If  it  possessed  warehouses  on  the 
beach,  they  have  disappeared.  It  is  at  present  a  mere 
village  of  the  poorest  kind,  and  lies  nearly  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  from  the  river,  in  a  hollow  among  hills.  It  con 
tains  a  few  hundred  inhabitants,  who  subsist  principally 
by  laboring  in  the  fields  and  vineyards.  Its  race  of  mer 
chants  and  mariners  are  extinct.  There  are  no  vessels 


364  THE  LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

belonging  to  the  place,  nor  any  show  of  traffic,  except 
ing  at  the  season  of  fruit  and  wine,  when  a  few  mysticks 
and  other  light  barks  anchor  in  the  river  to  collect  the 
produce  of  the  neighborhood.  The  people  are  totally 
ignorant,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  greater  part  of  them 
scarce  know  even  the  name  of  America.  Such  is  the 
place  from  whence  sallied  forth  the  enterprise  for  the 
discovery  of  the  Western  World  ! 

We  were  now  summoned  to  breakfast  in  a  little  saloon 
of  the  hacienda.  The  table  was  covered  with  natural 
luxuries  produced  upon  the  spot — fine  purple  and  mus 
catel  grapes  from  the  adjacent  vineyard,  delicious  melons 
from  the  garden,  and  generous  wines  made  on  the  estate. 
The  repast  was  heightened  by  the  genial  manners  of  my 
hospitable  host,  who  appeared  to  possess  the  most  envi 
able  cheerfulness  of  spirit  and  simplicity  of  heart. 

After  breakfast  we  set  off  in  the  calesa,  to  visit  the 
Convent  of  La  Rabida,  which  is  about  half  a  league  dis 
tant.  The  road,  for  a  part  of  the  way,  lay  through  the 
vineyards,  and  was  deep  and  sandy.  The  calasero  had 
been  at  his  wit's  end  to  conceive  what  motive  a  stranger 
like  myself,  apparently  travelling  for  mere  amusement, 
could  have  in  coming  so  far  to  see  so  miserable  a  place 
as  Palos,  which  he  set  down  as  one  of  the  very  poorest 
places  in  the  whole  world  ;  but  this  additional  toil  and 
struggle  through  deep  sand,  to  visit  the  old  Convent  of 
La  Rabida,  completed  his  confusion.  "  Hombre !  "  ex 
claimed  he,  "  es  una  ruina !  no  hay  mas  quc  dos  frailes !  " 
— "Zounds!  why,  it's  a  ruin!  There  arc  only  two  friars 
there  ! "  Don  Juan  laughed,  and  told  him  that  I  had 
come  all  the  way  from  Seville  precisely  to  sec  that  old 
ruin  and  those  two  friars.  The  calasero  made  the  Span 
iard's  last  reply  when  he  is  perplexed — he  shrugged  his 
shoulders  and  crossed  himself. 


A    VISIT    TO  PALOS.  365 

After  ascending  a  hill,  and  passing  through  the  skirts 
of  a  straggling  pine  wood,  we  arrived  in  front  of  the  con 
vent.  It  stands  in  a  bleak  and  solitary  situation,  on  the 
brow  of  a  rocky  height,  or  promontory,  overlooking  to 
the  west  a  wide  range  of  sea  and  land,  bounded  by  the 
frontier  mountains  of  Portugal,  about  eight  leagues  dis 
tant.  The  convent  is  shut  out  from  a  view  of  the  vine 
yard  of  Palos  by  the  gloomy  forest  of  pines  which  I  have 
mentioned,  which  cover  the  promontory  to  the  east,  and 
darken  the  whole  landscape  in  that  direction. 

There  is  nothing  remarkable  in  the  architecture  of  the 
convent;  part  of  it  is  Gothic,  but  the  edifice  having  been 
frequently  repaired,  and  being  whitewashed,  according 
to  a  universal  custom  in  Andalusia,  inherited  from  the 
Moors,  it  has  not  that  venerable  aspect  which  might  be 
expected  from  its  antiquity. 

We  alighted  at  the  gate  where  Columbus,  when  a  poor 
pedestrian,  a  stranger  in  the  land,  asked  bread  and  water 
for  his  child  !  As  long  as  the  convent  stands,  this  must 
be  a  spot  calculated  to  awaken  the  most  thrilling  inter 
est.  The  gate  remains  apparently  in  nearly  the  same 
state  as  at  the  time  of  his  visit,  but  there  is  no  longer  a 
porter  at  hand  to  administer  to  the  wants  of  the  wayfarer. 
The  door  stood  wide  open,  and  admitted  us  into  a  small 
courtyard.  From  thence  we  passed  through  a  Gothic 
portal  into  the  chapel,  without  seeing  a  human  being. 
We  then  traversed  two  interior  cloisters,  equally  vacant 
and  silent,  and  bearing  a  look  of  neglect  and  dilapida 
tion.  From  an  open  window  we  had  a  peep  at  what  had 
once  been  a  garden,  but  that  had  also  gone  to  ruin;  the 
walls  were  broken  and  thrown  down  ;  a  few  shrubs,  and 
a  scattered  fig-tree  or  two,  were  all  the  traces  of  cultiva 
tion  that  remained.  We  passed  through  the  long  dormi 
tories,  but  the  cells  were  shut  up  and  abandoned ;  we 


THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

saw  no  living  thing  except  a  solitary  cat  stealing  across 
a  distant  corridor,  which  fled  in  a  panic  at  the  unusual 
sight  of  strangers.  At  length,  after  patrolling  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  empty  building,  to  the  echo  of  our  own  foot 
steps,  we  came  to  where  the  door  of  a  cell,  being  partly 
open,  gave  us  the  sight  of  a  monk  within,  seated  at  a 
table  writing.  He  rose,  and  received  us  with  much 
civility,  and  conducted  us  to  the  superior,  who  was  read 
ing  in  an  adjacent  cell.  They  were  both  rather  young 
men,  and,  together  with  a  novitiate  and  a  lay  brother, 
who  officiated  as  cook,  formed  the  whole  community  of 
the  convent. 

Don  Juan  Fernandez  communicated  to  them  the  ob 
ject  of  my  visit,  and  my  desire  also  to  inspect  the  ar 
chives  of  the  convent,  to  find  if  there  was  any  record  of 
the  sojourn  of  Columbus.  They  informed  us  that  the 
archives  had  been  entirely  destroyed  by  the  French. 
The  younger  monk,  however,  who  had  perused  them, 
had  a  vague  recollection  of  various  particulars  concern 
ing  the  transactions  of  Columbus  at  Palos,  his  visit  to 
the  convent,  and  the  sailing  of  his  expedition.  From  all 
that  he  cited,  however,  it  appeared  to  me  that  all  the 
information  on  the  subject  contained  in  the  archives  had 
been  extracted  from  Herrera  and  other  well-known  au 
thors.  The  monk  was  talkative  and  eloquent,  and  soon 
diverged  from  the  subject  of  Columbus  to  one  which  he 
considered  of  infinitely  greater  importance — the  miracu 
lous  image  of  the  Virgin  possessed  by  their  convent,  and 
known  by  the  name  of  "  Our  Lady  of  La  Rabida."  He 
gave  us  a  history  of  the  wonderful  way  in  which  the 
image  had  been  found  buried  in  the  earth,  where  it  had 
lain  hidden  for  ages,  since  the  time  of  the  conquest  of 
Spain  by  the  Moors  ;  the  disputes  between  the  convent 
and  different  places  in  the  neighborhood  for  the  posses- 


A    VISIT   TO  PALOS. 

sion  of  it ;  the  marvellous  protection  it  extended  to  the 
adjacent  country,  especially  in  preventing  all  madness, 
either  in  man  or  dog — for  this  malady  was  anciently  so 
prevalent  in  this  place  as  to  gain  it  the  appellation  of  La 
Rabia,  by  which  it  was  originally  called ;  a  name  which, 
thanks  to  the  beneficent  influence  of  the  Virgin,  it  no 
longer  merited  or  retained.  Such  are  the  legends  and 
relics  with  which  every  convent  in  Spain  is  enriched, 
which  are  zealously  cried  up  by  the  monks,  and  devoutly 
credited  by  the  populace. 

Twice  a  year,  on  the  festival  of  Our  Lady  of  La  Ra- 
bida,  and  on  that  of  the  patron  saint  of  the  order,  the 
solitude  and  silence  of  the  convent  are  interrupted  by  the 
intrusion  of  a  swarming  multitude,  composed  of  the  in 
habitants  of  Moguer  and  Huelva,  and  the  neighboring 
plains  and  mountains.  The  open  esplanade  in  front  of 
the  edifice  resembles  a  fair,  the  adjacent  forest  teems 
with  the  motley  throng,  and  the  image  of  Our  Lady  of 
La  Rabida  is  borne  forth  in  triumphant  procession. 

While  the  friar  was  thus  dilating  upon  the  merits  and 
renown  of  the  image,  I  amused  myself  with  those  day 
dreams,  or  conjurings  of  the  imagination,  to  which  I  am 
a  little  given.  As  the  internal  arrangements  of  convents 
are  apt  to  be  the  same  from  age  to  age,  I  pictured  to 
myself  this  chamber  as  the  same  inhabited  by  the  guard 
ian,  Juan  Perez  de  Marchena,  at  the  time  of  the  visit  of 
Columbus.  Why  might  not  the  old  and  ponderous  table 
before  me  be  the  very  one  on  which  he  displayed  his 
conjectural  maps,  and  expounded  his  theory  of  a  western 
route  to  India?  It  required  but  another  stretch  of  the 
imagination  to  assemble  the  little  conclave  around  the 
table  ;  Juan  Perez,  the  friar,  Garcia  Fernandez,  the  phy 
sician,  and  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  the  bold  navigator,  all 
listening  with  rapt  attention  to  Columbus,  or  to  the  tale 


THE  LIFE   OF   COLUMBUS. 

of  some  old   seaman  of  Palos,  about    islands  seen   in  the 
western  parts  of  the  ocean. 

The  friars,  as  far  as  their  poor  means  and  scanty  knowl 
edge  extended,  were  disposed  to  do  everything  to  pro 
mote  the  object  of  my  visit.  They  showed  us  all  parts 
of  the  convent,  which,  however,  has  little  to  boast  of, 
excepting  the  historical  associations  connected  with  it. 
The  library  was  reduced  to  a  few  volumes,  chiefly  on 
ecclesiastical  subjects,  piled  promiscuously  in  the  corner 
of  a  vaulted  chamber,  and  covered  with  dust.  The  cham 
ber  itself  was  curious,  being  the  most  ancient  part  of  the 
edifice,  and  supposed  to  have  formed  part  of  a  temple  in 
the  time  of  the  Romans. 

We  ascended  to  the  roof  of  the  convent  to  enjoy  the 
extensive  prospect  it  commands.  Immediately  below  the 
promontory  on  which  it  is  situated  runs  a  narrow,  but 
tolerably  deep,  river,  called  the  Domingo  Rubio,  which 
empties  itself  into  the  Tinto.  It  is  the  opinion  of  Don 
Luis  Fernandez  Pinzon  that  the  ships  of  Columbus  were 
careened  and  fitted  out  in  this  river,  as  it  affords  better 
shelter  than  the  Tinto,  and  its  shores  are  not  so  shallow. 
A  lonely  bark  of  a  fisherman  was  lying  in  this  stream, 
and  not  far  off,  on  a  sandy  point,  were  the  ruins  of  an 
ancient  watchtower.  From  the  roof  of  the  convent  all 
the  windings  of  the  Odiel  and  the  Tinto  were  to  be  seen, 
and  their  junction  into  the  main  stream,  by  which  Co 
lumbus  sallied  forth  to  sea.  In  fact,  the  convent  serves 
as  a  landmark,  being,  from  its  lofty  and  solitary  situation, 
visible  for  a  considerable  distance  to  vessels  coming  on 
the  coast.  On  the  opposite  side  I  looked  down  upon 
the  lonely  road,  through  the  wood  of  pine-trees,  by 
which  the  zealous  guardian  of  the  convent,  Fray  Juan 
Perez,  departed  at  midnight  on  his  mule,  when  he  sought 
the  camp  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  in  the  vega  of 


A    VISIT    TO    PALOS.  369 

Granada,  to  plead  the  project  of  Columbus  before  the 
queen. 

Having  finished  our  inspection  of  the  convent  we  pre 
pared  to  depart,  and  were  accompanied  to  the  outward 
portal  by  the  two  friars.  Our  calasero  brought  his  rat 
tling  and  rickety  vehicle  for  us  to  mount ;  at  sight  of 
which  one  of  the  monks  exclaimed,  with  a  smile,  "  Santa 
Maria!  only  to  think!  A  calesa  before  the  gate  of  the 
convent  of  La  Rabida !  "  And,  indeed,  so  solitary  and 
remote  is  this  ancient  edifice,  and  so  simple  is  the  mode 
of  living  of  the  people  in  this  by-corner  of  Spain,  that 
the  appearance  of  even  a  sorry  calesa  might  well  cause 
astonishment.  It  is  only  singular  that  in  such  a  by-cor 
ner  the  scheme  of  Columbus  should  have  found  intelli 
gent  listeners  and  coadjutors,  after  it  had  been  discarded, 
almost  with  scoffing  and  contempt,  from  learjied  univer 
sities  and  splendid  courts. 

On  our  way  back  to  the  hacienda  we  met  Don  Rafael, 
a  younger  son  of  Don  Juan  Fernandez,  a  fine  young  man, 
about  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  who,  his  father  in 
formed  me,  was  at  present  studying  French  and  mathe 
matics.  He  was  well  mounted  on  a  spirited  gray  horse, 
and  dressed  in  the  Andalusian  style,  with  the  little  round 
hat  and  jacket.  He  sat  his  horse  gracefully  and  man 
aged  him  well.  I  was  pleased  with  the  frank  and  easy 
terms  on  which  Don  Juan  appeared  to  live  with  his  chil 
dren:  This  I  was  inclined  to  think  his  favorite  son,  as  I 
understood  he  was  the  only  one  that  partook  of  the  old 
gentleman's  fondness  for  the  chase,  and  that  accom 
panied  him  in  his  hunting  excursions. 

A  dinner  had  been  prepared  for  us  at  the  hacienda,  by 
the  wife  of  the  capitaz,  or  overseer,  who,  with  her  hus 
band,  seemed  to  be  well  pleased  with  this  visit  from  Don 
Juan,  and  to  be  confident  of  receiving  a  pleasant  answer 
24 


37°  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

from  the  good-humored  old  gentleman  whenever  they 
addressed  him.  The  dinner  was  served  up  about  two 
o'clock,  and  was  a  most  agreeable  meal.  The  fruits  and 
wines  were  from  the  estate,  and  were  excellent ;  the  rest 
of  the  provisions  were  from  Moguer,  for  the  adjacent 
village  of  Palos  is  too  poor  to  furnish  anything.  A  gen 
tle  breeze  from  the  sea  played  through  the  hall  and  tem 
pered  the  summer  heat.  Indeed,  I  do  not  know  when  I 
have  seen  a  more  enviable  spot  than  this  country  retreat 
of  the  Pinzons.  Its  situation  on  a  breezy  hill,  at  no  great 
distance  from  the  sea,  and  in  a  southern  climate,  pro 
duces  a  happy  temperature,  neither  hot  in  summer  nor 
cold  in  winter.  It  commands  a  beautiful  prospect,  and 
is  surrounded  by  natural  luxuries.  The  country  abounds 
with  game,  the  adjacent  river  affords  abundant  sport  in 
fishing,  both  by  day  and  night,  and  delightful  excursions 
for  those  fond  of  sailing.  During  the  busy  seasons  of 
rural  life,  and  especially  at  the  joyous  period  of  vintage, 
the  family  pass  some  time  here,  accompanied  by  numer 
ous  guests,  at  which  times,  Don  Juan  assured  me,  there 
was  no  lack  of  amusements,  both  by  land  and  water. 

When  we  had  dined,  and  taken  the  siesta,  or  afternoon 
nap,  according  to  the  Spanish  custom  in  summer  time, 
we  set  out  on  our  return  to  Moguer,  visiting  the  village 
of  Palos  in  the  way.  Don  Gabriel  had  been  sent  in  ad 
vance  to  procure  the  keys  of  the  village  church,  and  to 
apprise  the  curate  of  our  wish  to  inspect  the  archives. 
The  village  consists  principally  of  two  streets  of  low, 
whitewashed  houses.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  have 
very  dark  complexions,  betraying  a  mixture  of  African 
blood. 

On  entering  the  village  we  repaired  to  the  lowly  man 
sion  of  the  curate.  I  had  hoped  to  find  him  some  such 
personage  as  the  curate  in  "  Don  Quixote,"  possessed  of 


A    VISIT   TO  PA  LOS.  37 1 

shrewdness  and  information  in  his  limited  sphere,  and 
that  I  might  gain  some  anecdotes  from  him  concerning 
his  parish,  its  worthies,  its  antiquities,  and  its  historical 
events.  Perhaps  I  might  have  done  so  at  any  other 
time,  but,  unfortunately,  the  curate  was  something  of  a 
sportsman,  and  had  heard  of  some  game  among  the 
neighboring  hills.  We  met  him  just  sallying  forth  from 
his  house,  and,  I  must  confess,  his  appearance  was  pict 
uresque.  He  was  a  short,  broad,  sturdy  little  man,  and 
had  doffed  his  cassock  and  broad  clerical  beaver  for  a 
short  jacket  and  a  little  round  Andalusian  hat  ;  he  had 
his  gun  in  hand,  and  was  on  the  point  of  mounting  a 
donkey  which  had  been  led  forth  by  an  ancient  withered 
handmaid.  Fearful  of  being  detained  from  his  foray,  he 
accosted  my  companion  the  moment  he  came  in  sight. 
"  God  preserve  you,  Seflor  Don  Juan  !  I  have  received 
your  message,  and  have  but  one  answer  to  make.  The 
archives  have  all  been  destroyed.  We  have  no  trace  of 
anything  you  seek  for — nothing — nothing.  Don  Rafael 
has  the  keys  of  the  church.  You  can  examine  it  at  your 
leisure.  Adios,  caballero  !  "  With  these  words  the  gal- 
Hard  little  curate  mounted  his  donkey,  thumped  his  ribs 
with  the  but-end  of  his  gun,  and  trotted  off  to  the  hills. 

In  our  way  to  the  church  we  passed  by  the  ruins  of 
what  had  once  been  a  fair  and  spacious  dwelling,  greatly 
superior  to  the  other  houses  of  the  village.  This,  Don 
Juan  informed  me,  was  an  old  family  possession,  but 
since  they  had  removed  from  Palos  it  had  fallen  to 
decay  for  want  of  a  tenant.  It  was  probably  the  family 
residence  of  Martin  Alonzo  or  Vicente  Yaflez  Pinzon  in 
the  time  of  Columbus. 

We  now  arrived  at  the  Church  of  St.  George,  in  the 
porch  of  which  Columbus  first  proclaimed  to  the  inhabit 
ants  of  Palos  the  order  of  the  sovereigns,  that  they 


372  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

should  furnish  him  with  ships  for  his  great  voyage  of  dis 
covery.  This  edifice  has  lately  been  thoroughly  repaired, 
and,  being  of  solid  mason-work,  promises  to  stand  for 
ages,  a  monument  of  the  discoverers.  It  stands  outside 
of  the  village,  on  the  brow  of  a  hill,  looking  along  a 
little  valley  toward  the  river.  The  remains  of  a  Moorish 
arch  prove  it  to  have  been  a  mosque  in  former  times  ; 
just  above  it,  on  the  crest  of  the  hill,  is  the  ruin  of  a 
Moorish  castle. 

I  paused  in  the  porch,  and  endeavored  to  recall  the 
interesting  scene  that  had  taken  place  there,  when  Co 
lumbus,  accompanied  by  the  zealous  friar  Juan  Perez, 
caused  the  public  notary  to  read  the  royal  order  in  pres 
ence  of  the  astonished  alcaldes,  regidors,  and  alguazils; 
but  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  the  consternation  that  must 
have  been  struck  into  so  remote  a  little  community  by 
this  sudden  apparition  of  an  entire  stranger  among  them, 
bearing  a  command  that  they  should  put  their  persons 
and  ships  at  his  disposal,  and  sail  with  him  away  into 
the  unknown  wilderness  of  the  ocean. 

The  interior  of  the  church  has  nothing  remarkable, 
excepting  a  wooden  image  of  St.  George  vanquishing 
the  Dragon,  which  is  erected  over  the  high  altar,  and  is 
the  admiration  of  the  good  people  of  Palos,  who  bear  it 
about  the  streets  in  grand  procession  on  the  anniversary 
of  the  saint.  This  group  existed  in  the  time  of  Columbus, 
and  now  flourishes  in  renovated  youth  and  splendor,  hav 
ing  been  newly  painted  and  gilded,  and  the  countenance 
of  the  saint  rendered  peculiarly  blooming  and  lustrous. 

Having  finished  the  examination  of  the  church,  we  re- 
sumed  our  seats  in  the  calesa  and  returned  to  Moguer. 
One  thing  only  remained  to  fulfill  the  object  of  my  pil 
grimage.  This  was  to  visit  the  chapel  of  the  Convent  of 
Santa  Clara.  When  Columbus  was  in  danger  of  being 


A    VISIT    TO  PALOS.  373 

lost  in  a  tempest  on  his  way  home  from  his  great  voyage 
of  discovery,  he  made  a  vow  that,  should  he  be  spared, 
he  would  watch  and  pray  one  whole  night  in  this  chapel; 
a  vow  which  he  doubtless  fulfilled  immediately  after  his 
arrival. 

My  kind  and  attentive  friend,  Don  Juan,  conducted 
me  to  the  convent.  It  is  the  wealthiest  in  Moguer,  and 
belongs  to  a  sisterhood  of  Franciscan  nuns.  The  chapel 
is  large,  and  ornamented  with  some  degree  of  richness, 
particularly  the  part  about  the  high  altar,  which  is  em 
bellished  by  magnificent  monuments  of  the  brave  family 
of  the  Puerto  Carreros,  the  ancient  lords  of  Moguer,  and 
renowned  in  Moorish  warfare.  The  alabaster  effigies  of 
distinguished  warriors  of  that  house,  and  of  their  wives 
and  sisters,  lie  side  by  side,  with  folded  hands,  on  tombs 
immediately  before  the  altar,  while  others  recline  in  deep 
niches  on  either  side.  The  night  had  closed  in  by  the 
time  I  entered  the  church,  which'  made  the  scene  more 
impressive.  A  few  votive  lamps  shed  a  dim  light  about 
the  interior;  their  beams  were  feebly  reflected  by  the 
gilded  work  of  the  high  altar  and  the  frames  of  the  sur 
rounding  paintings,  and  rested  upon  the  marble  figures 
of  the  warriors  and  dames  lying  in  the  monumental 
repose  of  ages.  The  solemn  pile  must  have  presented 
much  the  same  appearance  when  the  pious  discoverer 
performed  his  vigil,  kneeling  before  this  very  altar,  and 
praying  and  watching  throughout  the  night,  and  pouring 
forth  heart-felt  praises  for  having  been  spared  to  accom 
plish  his  sublime  discovery. 

I  had  now  completed  the  main  purpose  of  my  journey, 
having  visited  the  various  places  connected  with  the  story 
of  Columbus.  It  was  highly  gratifying  to  find  some  of 
them  so  little  changed,  though  so  great  a  space  of  time 
had  intervened ;  but  in  this  quiet  nook  of  Spain,  so  far 


374  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

removed  from  the  main  thoroughfares,  the  lapse  of  time 
produces  but  few  violent  revolutions.  Nothing,  however, 
had  surprised  and  gratified  me  more  than  the  continued 
stability  of  the  Pinzon  family.  On  the  morning  after  my 
excursion  to  Palos,  chance  gave  me  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  something  of  the  interior  of  most  of  their  house 
holds.  Having  a  curiosity  to  visit  the  remains  of  a 
Moorish  castle,  once  the  citadel  of  Moguer,  Don  Fernan 
dez  undertook  to  show  me  a  tower  which  served  as  a 
magazine  of  wine  to  one  of  the  Pinzon  family.  In  seek 
ing  for  the  key,  we  were  sent  from  house  to  house  of 
nearly  the  whole  connection.  All  appeared  to  be  living 
in  that  golden  mean  equally  removed  from  the  wants 
and  superfluities  of  life,  and  all  to  be  happily  interwoven 
by  kind  and  cordial  habits  of  intimacy.  We  found  the 
females  of  the  family  generally  seated  in  the  patios,  or 
central  courts  of  their  dwellings,  beneath  the  shade  of 
awnings,  and  among  shrubs  and  flowers.  Here  the  An- 
dalusian  ladies  are  accustomed  to  pass  their  mornings 
at  work,  surrounded  by  their  handmaids,  in  the  primi 
tive,  or,  rather,  oriental,  style.  In  the  porches  of  some 
of  the  houses  I  observed  the  coat  of  arms  granted  to 
the  family  by  Charles  the  Fifth,  hung  up  like  a  picture 
in  a  frame.  Over  the  door  of  Don  Luis,  the  naval  offi 
cer,  it  was  carved  on  an  escutcheon  of  stone,  and  colored. 
I  had  gathered  many  particulars  of  the  family  also  from 
conversation  with  Don  Juan,  and  from  the  family  legend 
lent  me  by  Don  Luis.  From  all  that  I  could  learn,  it 
would  appear  that  the  lapse  of  nearly  three  centuries 
and  a  half  has  made  but  little  change  in  the  condition 
of  the  Pinzons.  From  generation  to  generation  they 
have  retained  the  same  fair  standing  and  reputable 
name  throughout  the  neighborhood,  filling  offices  of  pub 
lic  trust  and  dignity,  and  possessing  great  influence  over 


A    VISIT   TO   PA  LOS.  375 

their  fellow-citizens  by  their  good  sense  and  good  con 
duct.  How  rare  is  it  to  see  such  an  instance  of  stability 
of  fortune  in  this  fluctuating  world,  and  how  truly  honor 
able  is  this  hereditary  respectability,  which  has  been  se 
cured  by  no  titles  or  entails,  but  perpetuated  merely 
by  the  innate  worth  of  the  race!  I  declare  to  you  that 
the  most  illustrious  descents  of  mere  titled  rank  could 
never  command  the  sincere  respect  and  cordial  regard 
with  which  I  contemplated  this  stanch  and  enduring 
family,  which  for  three  centuries  and  a  half  has  stood 
merely  upon  its  virtues. 

As  I  was  to  set  off  on  my  return  to  Seville  before  two 
o'clock,  I  partook  of  a  farewell  repast  at  the  house  of 
Don  Juan,  between  twelve  and  one,  and  then  took  leave 
of  his  household  with  sincere  regret.  The  good  old 
gentleman,  with  the  courtesy,  or  rather  the  cordiality,  of 
a  true  Spaniard,  accompanied  me  to  the  posada,  to  see 
me  off.  I  had  dispensed  but  little  money  in  the  posada 
— thanks  to  the  hospitality  of  the  Pinzons — yet  the  Span 
ish  pride  of  my  host  and  hostess  seemed  pleased  that  I 
had  preferred  their  humble  chamber  and  the  scanty 
bed  they  had  provided  me  to  the  spacious  mansion  of 
Don  Juan  ;  and  when  I  expressed  my  thanks  for  their 
kindness  and  attention,  and  regaled  mine  host  with  a  few 
choice  cigars,  the  heart  of  the  poor  man  was  overcome. 
He  seized  me  by  both  hands  and  gave  me  a  parting  ben 
ediction,  and  then  ran  after  the  calasero,  to  enjoin  him 
to  take  particular  care  of  me  during  my  journey. 

Taking  a  hearty  leave  of  my  excellent  friend  Don 
Juan,  who  had  been  unremitting  in  his  attentions  to  me 
to  the  last  moment,  I  now  set  off  on  my  wayfaring,  grati 
fied  to  the  utmost  with  my  visit,  and  full  of  kind  and 
grateful  feelings  towards  Moguer  and  its  hospitable  in 
habitants. 


APPENDIX. 

OBSEQUIES    OF    COLUMBUS. 

THE  body  of  Columbus  was  deposited  in  the  convent 
of  San  Francisco,  and  his  obsequies  were  celebrated  with 
funeral  pomp  in  the  parochial  church  of  Santa  Maria  de 
la  Antigua,  in  Valladolid.  His  remains  were  transported, 
in  1513,  to  the  Carthusian  Convent  of  Las  Cuevas,  at 
Seville,  and  deposited  in  the  chapel  of  Santa  Christo. 
In  the  year  1536  they  were  removed  to  Hispaniola, 
and  interred  by  the  side  of  the  grand  altar  of  the  cathe 
dral  of  the  city  of  San  Domingo.  But  even  here  they 
did  not  rest  in  quiet.  On  the  session  of  Hispaniola  to 
the  French,  in  1795,  it  was  determined  by  the  Spaniards 
to  bear  them  off  to  the  island  of  Cuba  as  precious  relics, 
connected  with  the  most  glorious  epoch  of  Spanish  his 
tory.  Accordingly,  on  the  2Oth  December,  1795,  in  the 
presence  of  an  august  assemblage  of  the  dignitaries  of  the 
Church  and  the  civil  and  military  officers,  the  vault  was 
opened  beside  the  high  altar  of  the  cathedral  ;  within 
were  found  the  fragments  of  a  leaden  coffin,  a  number  of 
bones,  and  a  quantity  of  mould,  evidently  the  remains  of 
a  human  body.  These  were  carefully  collected  and  put 
into  a  case  of  gilded  lead,  secured  by  an  iron  lock  ;  the 
case  was  enclosed  in  a  coffin  covered  with  black  velvet, 
and  the  whole  placed  in  a  temporary  mausoleum.  On 
the  following  day  there  was  another  grand  convocation 
at  the  cathedral ;  the  vigils  and  masses  for  the  dead  were 


APPENDIX.  377 

chanted,  and  a  funeral  sermon  was  preached  by  the  arch 
bishop.  After  these  solemn  ceremonials  in  the  cathe 
dral  the  coffin  was  transported  to  the  ship,  attended  by 
a  grand  civil,  religious,  and  military  procession.  The 
banners  were  covered  with  crape  ;  there  were  chants  and 
responses,  and  discharges  of  artillery  ;  and  the  most  dis 
tinguished  persons  of  the  several  orders  took  turns  to 
support  the  coffin. 

The  reception  of  the  body  at  Havana  was  equally 
august.  There  was  a  splendid  procession  of  boats  to 
conduct  it  from  the  ship  to  the  shore.  On  passing  the 
vessels  of  war  in  the  harbor,  they  all  paid  the  honors  due 
to  an  Admiral  and  Captain-General  of  the  navy.  On  ar 
riving  at  the  mole,  the  remains  were  met  by  the  governor 
of  the  island,  accompanied  by  the  generals  of  the  mili 
tary  staff.  They  were  then  conveyed  in  the  utmost 
pomp  to  the  cathedral.  Masses  and  the  solemn  cere 
monies  of  the  dead  were  performed  by  the  bishop,  and 
the  mortal  remains  of  Columbus  were  deposited  in  the 
wall,  on  the  right  side  of  the  grand  altar,  where  they  still 
remain. 

It  is  with  deep  satisfaction  that  the  author  of  this 
work  is  able  to  close  his  history  with  the  account  of  a 
ceremonial  so  noble  and  affecting,  and  so  honorable  to 
the  Spanish  nation.  When  we  read  of  the  remains  of 
Columbus  thus  conveyed  from  the  port  of  San  Domingo, 
after  an  interval  of  nearly  three  hundred  years,  as  sacred 
national  relics,  with  civil  and  military  pomp  and  high 
religious  ceremonial,  we  cannot  but  reflect  that  it  was 
from  this  very  port  he  was  carried  off,  loaded  with  igno 
minious  chains,  blasted  apparently  in  fame  and  fortune, 
and  taunted  by  the  revilings  of  the  rabble.  Such  honors, 
it  is  true,  are  nothing  to  the  dead,  nor  can  they  atone 
to  the  heart,  now  dust  and  ashes,  for  all  the  wrongs  and 


3/8  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

sorrows  it  may  have  suffered  ;  but  they  speak  volumes 
of  comfort  to  the  illustrious  yet  slandered  and  perse 
cuted  living,  encouraging  them  bravely  to  bear  with 
present  injuries,  by  showing  them  how  true  merit  out 
lives  all  calumny,  and  receives  its  glorious  reward  in  the 
admiration  of  after  ages. 

NOTE. — While  this  abridgment  was  going  to  press  the  author  received 
a  letter  from  Madrid,  mentioning  a  recent  circumstance  which  may  be  of 
some  interest  to  the  reader  of  this  work.  The  emancipation  of  the  Spanish 
colonies  in  America  had  stripped  the  heirs  of  Columbus  of  all  their  property, 
insomuch  that  his  last  direct  descendant  and  representative,  the  Duke  of 
Veraguas,  a  young  nobleman  of  worth  and  talent,  was  reduced  to  extreme 
poverty.  He  instituted  a  claim  upon  the  government  for  indemnification, 
which  has  just  been  allowed.  A  pension  of  twenty-four  thousand  dollars 
has  been  assigned  him  on  the  revenues  of  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico.  It  is  a 
circumstance  highly  to  his  credit,  that,  in  the  time  of  his  greatest  distress, 
he  refused  sums  that  were  offered  him  for  various  documents  in  the  archives 
of  his  family,  and  particularly  for  autographs  of  his  illustrious  ancestor. 


A    GLOSSARY 

OF    THE    LATIN,    FRENCH,     SPANISH,    AND     OTHER    NOT* 
EASILY-UNDERSTOOD    WORDS   AND    PHRASES. 

ALSO,  A  BRIEF  DESCRIPTION  OF  THOSE  PERSONS  AND  PLACES  SPOKEN  OF, 
WHOSE  HISTORY  CONTAINS  SOMETHING  PECULIAR,  OR  A  KNOWLEDGE 
OF  WHOM  CANNOT  BE  OBTAINED  FROM  SOURCES  ORDINARILY  WITHIN 
THE  REACH  OF  THE  READER. 

Adios,  adieu,  farewell. 

Adelantado,  lieutenant-governor. 

Alcala  de  la  Guadaira,  a  small  Spanish  town,    situated  six  miles  southeast 

of  Seville,  on  the  river  Guadaira. 
Alcalde  (Spanish),  a  justice  of  the  peace,  or  judge  who  administers  justice 

in  a  town. 

Alcantara,  one  of  the  three  ancient  Spanish  orders  of  knighthood.  It  as 
sumed  this  name  from  the  town  of  Alcantara,  in  the  Spanish  province  of 

Estremadura,  which  was  given  to  it  in  1207. 
Alcayde,  governor  of  a  castle  or  fort. 
Alguazil  (from  the  Spanish),  an  inferior  officer  of  justice,  answering  to  our 

constable. 
Alhambra,  the  red  city,  formerly  the  royal  palace  of  the  Moorish  kings  of 

Granada,  in  Spain. 
Alpha  and  Omega,  names  of  the  first  and  last  letters  of  the  Greek  alphabet, 

hence  often  used  to  signify  the  beginning  and  end. 
Amazons,  a  race  of  masculine  women  or  female  warriors. 
Anana,  pineapple. 

Anjou,  an  ancient  province  of  France. 

Apostolical  Vicar,  the  Pope's  representative  in  religious  affairs. 
Arabic,  language  of  the  inhabitants  of  Arabia,  which  is  the  most  westerly 

portion  of  southern  Asia,  between  the  Red  Sea  and  the  Persian  Gulf. 
Archdeacon,  an  ecclesiastical  officer,  next  in  rank  to  a  bishop,  for  whom  he 

acts  on  many  occasions.     He  has  a  superintendence  over  other  clergymen 

in  his  district. 


THE  LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

Archipelago,  a  sea  interspersed  with  many  islands  ;  the  name  generally  ap 
plied  to  the  /Egean  Sea,  situated  between  Europe  and  Asia,  but  in  this 
volume  referring  to  the  islands  in  the  Caribbean  Sea. 

Aristotle,  a  distinguished  Grecian  philosopher,  born  three  hundred  and 
eighty-four  years  before  Christ,  at  Stagira,  in  Macedonia  ;  hence  he  is 
sometimes  called,  the  Stagyrite. 

Arrieros,  carriers. 

Arquebusier,  a  soldier  armed  with  an  arquebuse,  a  kind  of  firearms,  for 
merly  in  use,  which  was  cocked  with  a  wheel. 

Atlantis.  Many  of  the  ancients  supposed  that  there  existed  in  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  a  large  island,  to  which  the  above  name  was  given.  Writers  differ 
in  their  description  and  location  of  it,  and  as  no  such  island  is  now 
known,  the  general  opinion  is  that  its  existence  was  imaginary.  Some, 
however,  conjecture  that  the  original  accounts  were  true  ;  but  that, 
instead  of  an  island,  the  early  voyagers  had  visited  the  American  con 
tinent. 

Augustine,  St.     See   Saint. 

Aura  or  Aurea  Chersonesus,  the  golden  peninsula.  There  is  much  differ 
ence  of  opinion  among  the  learned,  what  place  the  ancients  intended  to 
designate  by  this  name.  Dr.  Rees  considers  there  is  little  reason  to  doubt 
that  the  Golden  Chersonese  is  the  southern  part  of  the  former  kingdom. 
now  province,  of  Pegu,  in  Asia,  which  may  be  considered  as  insulated. 

Autograph,  a  person's  own  handwriting. 

Ave  Maria,  the  beginning  of  a  Roman  Catholic  prayer  to  the  Virgin  Mary, 
from  which  the  whole  prayer  is  called  Ave  Maria.  It  literally  means, 
Hail,  Mary ;  and  is  the  commencement  of  the  salutation  which  the 
angel  addressed  to  the  Virgin,  when  announcing  to  her  that  she  should  be 
the  mother  of  our  Saviour. 

Avenger,  a  title  given  to  King  John  the  First  of  Portugal,  who  reigned  from 
1383  to  1433.  He  was  inflexible  in  the  punishment  of  crimes,  and  rooted 
out  the  band  of  bravoes  kept  by  the  nobility  to  execute  private  revenge. 
It  was  a  saying  of  his  that  conversation  was  the  cheapest  of  all  pleasures, 
as  well  as  the  most  improving,  and  he  promoted  a  taste  for  letters  among 
his  people. 

Areytos,  sacred,  heroic,  and  historic  ballads  of  the  natives  of  Hispaniola,  or 
Hayti,  or  San  Domingo,  as  the  island  is  variously  called. 

Benedictine,  an  order  of  monks,  founded  by  St.  Benedict.  He  was  born  at 
Norcin,  in  Spoleto  (which  lies  north  of  Rome),  in  the  year  480.  "  In  the 
fourteenth  year  of  his  age  he  retired  to  a  cavern,  situated  in  the  desert  of 
Subiaco,  forty  miles  from  Rome,  and  in  515  drew  up  a  rule  for  his 
monks,  which  was  first  introduced  into  the  monastery  on  Monte  Cassino, 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Naples,  founded  by  him  (in  529)  in  a  grove  of 


GLOSSARY.  38l 

Apollo,  after  the  temple  had  been  demolished.  With  the  intention  of 
banishing  idleness,  he  prescribed,  in  addition  to  the  work  of  God  (as  he 
called  prayer  and  the  reading  of  religious  writings),  the  instruction  of 
youth  in  reading,  writing,  and  ciphering,  in  the  doctrines  of  Christianity, 
in  manual  labors  (including  mechanic  arts  of  every  kind),  and  in  the  man 
agement  of  the  monastery.  With  regard  to  dress  and  food,  the  rule  was 
severe,  but  not  extravagant.  He  caused  a  library  to  be  founded,  for 
which  the  aged  and  infirm  brethren  were  obliged  to  copy  manuscripts. 
By  this  means  he  contributed  to  preserve  the  literary  remains  of  antiquity 
from  ruin  ;  for  though  he  had  in  view  only  the  copying  of  religious  writ 
ings,  yet  the  practice  was  afterwards  extended  to  classical  works  of  every 
kind.  The  learned  world  is  indebted  for  the  preservation  of  great  literary 
treasures  to  the  order  of  St.  Benedict." 

Bight,  a  bend  or  small  bay  between  two  points  of  land. 

Bivouac,  a  military  term,  signifying  to  watch,  or  be  on  guard,  or  to  lie  in 
the  open  air,  remaining  dressed,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  march  at  a  moment's 
warning. 

Bodega,  a  magazine,  storeroom,  wine-cellar. 

Bottinas,  spatterdashes,  or  coverings  for  the  legs. 

Bustard,  a  common  name  of  a  species  of  waders,  or  birds  that  often  wade 
in  the  water  for  their  food.  The  great  bustard  is  the  largest  of  European 
land  birds,  averaging  in  weight  twenty- five  pounds.  They  seldom  fly, 
but  employ  their  wings,  as  the  ostrich  does,  to  aid  them  in  running. 
They  congregate  in  flocks,  and  are  usually  found  on  open  and  level 
grounds.  They  feed  on  grain,  herbs,  seeds,  worms,  and  insects. 

Butios,  Indian  priests. 

Caballero,  a  knight,  nobleman,  cavalier. 

Cabriolet,  a  light  carriage,  or  one-horse  chair. 

Caciqiie,  a  chief. 

Calabash,  a  vessel  made  of  a  dried  gourd-shell,  or  shell  of  the  fruit  of  the 
calabash  tree,  which  resembles  somewhat  a  squash  or  pumpkin  shell,  but 
is  much  harder,  and  closer  grained. 

Calabria,  a  mountainous  country  forming  the  southern  part  of  the  peninsula 
of  Italy. 

Calesa,  a  Spanish  calash  or  chaise  with  two  wheels. 

Calcsero,  driver  of  a  calash. 

Calicut,  a  district  of  Hindostan,  in  Asia,  on  the  Malabar  coast. 

Cama  de  luxo  (Spanish),  state  bed. 

Cape  Bojador,  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa. 

Cape  Non}  on  the  west  coast  of  the  island  of  Ivica,  in  the  Mediterranean 
Sea. 

Cape  of  Good  Hope,  southern  extremity  of  Africa. 


382  THE   LIFE    OF  COLUMBUS. 

Cape  Tiburon,  the  southwest  extremity  of  Hispaniola.  or  San  Domingo. 

Capitaz.  overseer. 

Captain-general  of  the  Navy,  in  Spain,  the  commander-in-chief   of  a  fleet. 

Caravel,  a  light,  round,  old-fashioned  ship. 

Caribs,  inhabitants  of  the  Caribbee  Islands,  as  a  part  of  the  West  India 
Islands  are  called.  In  the  last  century  they  were  almost  entirely  expelled. 
They  are  of  an  olive-brown  color,  but  paint  themselves  with  a  red  vege 
table  paint,  called  annotto,  as  a  defence  against  insects.  They  voracious 
ly  devour  the  flesh  of  their  enemies. 

Carthusian,  a  religious  order  of  monks,  founded  by  St.  Bruno,  in  1086,  who 
derived  their  name  from  the  desert  of  Chartreuse,  which  is  about  twelve 
or  fifteen  miles  from  the  city  of  Grenoble,  in  the  southeast  of  France, 
and  in  which  they  built  their  first  hermitages,  which  were  anciently 
called  Chartreuses.  They  practiced  the  greatest  abstinence,  wore  coarse 
garments,  and  lived  exclusively  upon  vegetables  and  the  coarsest  bread. 
Their  habit  or  dress  was  entirely  white  within,  covered  with  a  black 
mantle.  Their  fifth  general,  who  died  in  1137,  ''prescribed,  besides 
their  usual  monastic  vows,  eternal  silence  and  solitude.  Mechanical 
labors,  copying  of  books,  and  religious  worship,  constituted  their  occupa 
tion.  They  observed  a  strict  temperance,  and  submitted  to  bleeding  five 
times  a  year.  Excessive  penance  was  forbidden,  but  their  laws  were 
very  severe  against  disobedience.  They  were  in  general  well  informed, 
hospitable,  and  remarkable  for  their  neatness."  The  order  is  now  abol 
ished,  excepting  in  Sicily  and  Spain. 

Cassava,  a  bread  made  of  the  root  of  the^wra/  which  see. 

Cassock,  a  robe  or  gown  worn  over  the  other  garments,  particularly  by  the 
clergy. 

Castillanos,  a  Spanish  coin  equal  to  five  dollars  thirty-two  cents  and  five 
mills. 

Catalonians,  inhabitants  of  Catalonia,  a  province  of  Spain. 

Ceres,  the  fabled  goddess  of  corn  and  of  harvests,  who  is  said  to  have 
instructed  mankind  in  the  knowledge  of  agriculture,  how  to  plow  the 
ground,  sow  and  reap  corn,  and  make  bread.  She  is  usually  represented 
with  a  garland  of  ears  of  corn  on  her  head,  holding  in  one  hand  a  lighted 
torch  and  in  the  other  a  poppy  ;  sometimes  she  appears  as  a  country 
woman  sitting  on  the  back  of  an  ox,  carrying  a  basket  on  her  left  arm, 
and  holding  a  hoe. 

Ccuta,  a  city  on  the  African  coast  of  the  Mediterranean. 

Chaldaic,  the  language  of  the  inhabitants  of  Chaldea,  one  of  the  most 
famous  nations  of  Asia,  in  ancient  times.  Chaldea  was  the  southerly  part 
of  Babylonia,  towards  Arabia  and  the  Persian  Gulf.  It  was  formerly  a 
fertile  country,  but  is  now  barren. 


GLOSSARY.  383 

Charles  V.,  ''Emperor  of  Germany  and  King  of  Spain  (in  the  latter  capac 
ity  he  is  called  Charles  the  First),"  was  born  at  Ghent,  in  the  Netherlands, 
February  24,  1500.  He  "had  a  noble  air  and  refined  manners;  spoke 
little  and  smiled  seldom ;  was  firm  of  purpose  ;  slow  to  decide  ;  prompt 
to  execute  ;  equally  rich  in  resources  and  sagacious  in  the  choice  of 
them  ;  gifted  with  a  cool  judgment  and  always  master  of  himself,  he 
steadily  pursued  his  purposes,  and  easily  triumphed  over  obstacles. 
Circumstances  developed  his  genius  and  made  him  great.  An  acute 
iudge  of  men,  he  knew  how  to  use  them  for  his  purposes.  In  mis 
fortune  he  appeared  greater  than  in  prosperity.  He  protected  and 
encouraged  the  arts  and  sciences,  and  is  said  to  have  picked  up  a  brush 
which  had  fallen  from  the  hand  of  the  celebrated  painter  Titian,  with  the 
words,  '  Titian  is  worthy  of  being  served  by  an  emperor.'  "  He  is 
looked  upon  as  "  one  of  the  most  remarkable  characters  in  history.  He 
exhibited  no  talents  in  his  youth,  and  in  after  life,  when  his  armies  in 
Italy  were  winning  battle  after  battle,  he  remained  quietly  in  Spain, 
apparently  not  much  interested  in  these  victories  ;  but  even  in  his  early 
youth,  his  motto  was  (Nondum}  Not  yet."  But,  from  his  thirtieth  year 
to  the  time  of  abdicating  his  throne,  he  showed  himself  a  monarch.  "  No 
minister  had  a  marked  influence  over  him  ;  he  was  indefatigable  in  busi 
ness,  weighing  the  reasons  on  both  sides  of  every  case  with  great  minute 
ness  ;  very  slow  in  deciding  ;  unchangeable  of  purpose.  Wherever  he* 
was,  he  imitated  the  customs  of  the  country,  and  won  the  favor  of  every 
people  except  the  Germans.  He  was  slow  in  punishing,  as  well  as  in 
rewarding  ;  but  when  he  did  punish,  it  was  with  severity  ;  when  he 
rewarded,  it  was  with  munificence."  He  relinquished  his  right  to  the 
Spanish  throne  in  favor  of  his  son  Philip,  January  15,  1556,  and  retired 
to  the  monastery  of  St.  Justus,  near  Placencia,  in  the  province  of 
Estremadura,  in  Spain.  "  Here  he  exchanged  sovereignty,  dominion,  and 
pomp,  for  the  quiet  and  solitude  of  a  cloister.  His  amusements  were  con 
fined  to  short  rides,  to  the  cultivation  of  a  garden,  and  to  mechanical 
labors.  It  is  said  that  he  made  wooden  clocks,  and  being  unable  to  make 
two  of  them  go  exactly  alike,  he  was  reminded  of  the  folly  of  his  efforts  to 
bring  a  number  of  men  to  the  same  sentiments.  He  attended  religious 
services  twice  daily,  read  books  of  devotion,  and  gradually  fell  into  such 
dejection  that  his  faculties  seemed  to  suffer  from  it.  He  renounced  the 
most  innocent  pleasures,  and  observed  the  rules  of  the  monastic  life  in  all 
their  rigor.  In  order  to  perform  an  extraordinary  act  of  piety,  he  cele 
brated  his  own  obsequies.  Wrapped  in  a  shroud,  and  surrounded  by  his 
retinue,  he  laid  himself  in  a  coffin,  which  was  placed  in  the  middle  of 
the  church.  The  funeral  service  was  performed,  and  the  monarch 
mingled  his  voice  with  those  of  the  clergy  who  prayed  for  him.  After 


384  THE  LIFF.    OF  COLUMBUS. 

the  last  sprinkling,  all  withdrew,  and  the  doors  were  closed.  He 
remained  some  time  in  the  coffin,  then  arose,  threw  himself  before  the 
altar,  and  returned  to  his  cell,  where  he  spent  the  night  in  deep  medita 
tion.  This  ceremony  hastened  his  death,"  which  occurred  from  a  fever, 
September  21,  1558,  in  the  fifty-ninth  year  of  his  age. 

Cibao,  a  district  in  the  interior  of  Hispaniola,  so  named  from  its  stony, 
sterile  appearance. 

Clerical  Beaver,  clergyman's  hat. 

Coat  of  Arms,  emblematic  badge  of  a  family  ;  originally  worn  on  some  part 
of  the  person's  armor,  hence  its  name. 

Confession,  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  an  acknowledgment  of  sins 
and  faults  to  a  priest,  to  obtain  a  remission  of  them. 

Contrabandista,  a  smuggler  ;  one  who  carries  on  a  trade  in  goods,  the  ex 
porting  or  importing  of  which  is  prohibited  by  law. 

Cubanacan,  a  name  given  by  the  natives  to  a  province  in  the  centre  of  Cuba, 
nacan,  in  their  language,  signifying  "in  the  midst." 

Darien  (Isthmus  of),  a  narrow  neck  of  land  which  connects  North  and 
South  America. 

Decked.  Vessels  having  planked  floors  which  connect  the  sides  together, 
and  serve  as  platforms  to  support  the  artillery,  lodge  the  men,  and  also  to 
preserve  the  cargo  from  sea  and  rain,  are  said  to  be  decked. 

Desperado,  a  desperate  fellow. 

Dominican,  an  order  of  monks  founded  by  St.  Dominic  de  Guzman,  of 
Calahorra,  in  Old  Castile,  who  was  the  inquisitor-general  of  the  first 
Inquisition.  He  was  born  in  1170,  and  died  at  Bologna,  in  1221.  The 
principal  object  of  this  order  of  monks  was  to  preach  against  heretics,  or 
those  who  held  and  taught  opinions  opposed  to  the  Roman  Catholic  faith. 
At  one  time  it  extensively  prevailed  in  Europe  and  on  the  coasts  of  Asia, 
Africa,  and  America.  It  now  flourishes  chiefly  in  Spain,  Portugal,  and 
Sicily.  The  monks  dress  in  black,  with  white  mantles  and  veils,  the  nuns 
in  white,  with  black  mantles  and  veils.  See  Franciscan. 

Don  Quixote  (Adventures  of),  a  very  celebrated  work,  written  by  Cervantes, 
a  distinguished  Spanish  writer,  who  was  born  in  1547,  and  died  in  1616, 
at  Madrid,  where  he  lies  buried,  without  a  stone  to  indicate  the  spot. 
The  object  had  in  view  by  the  author  in  this  work  was  "to  reform  the 
taste  and  opinions  of  his  countrymen.  He  wished  to  ridicule  that  adven 
turous  heroism,  with  all  its  evil  consequences,  the  source  of  which  was  the 
innume.able  novels  on  knight-errantry.  \\  liilc  he  struggles  against  the 
prevailing  false  romance  of  the  time,  he  displays  the  most  truly  romantic- 
spirit.  The  beginning  of  the  work  was  at  first  coldly  received,  but  soon 
met  with  the  greatest  applause,  in  which,  at  a  later  period,  the  whole  of  Eu 
rope  joined,"  and  it  has  now  been  translated  into  every  European  language. 


GLOSSARY.  385 

Dryads,  wood-nymphs,  fabled  goddesses  who  were  said  to  preside  ovei 
woods  or  forests. 

Ducat,  a  coin  used  by  several  European  nations,  varying  in  value,  but  worth 
about  two  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents. 

East  (The).  The  countries  situated  in  Asia,  being  east  of  Europe,  are 
generally  spoken  of  as  The  East,  or  the  Eastern  or  Oriental  world,  as 
America,  being  west  of  Europe,  is  denominated  the  Western  world. 

Eden,  the  place  in  which  our  first  parents  dwelt,  previously  to  their  dis 
obedience  and  fall.  There  is  a  great  difference  of  opinion  relative  to  its 
precise  situation.  It  is  often  termed  Paradise,  from  a  Greek  word  signi 
fying  a  park  or  garden. 

Espanola.     See  Hispaniola. 

Esplanade,  as  used  in  this  volume,  means  a  grass-plat. 

Falconets,  small  pieces  of  artillery. 

False  Keel,  a  strong,  thick  piece  of  timber,  fastened  with  iron  bolts  to  the 
lower  side  of  the  keel  or  bottom  of  a  ship,  for  the  purpose  of  preserv 
ing  it. 

Ferro,  or  Hiero,  the  most  westerly  of  the  Canary  Islands.  It  was  anciently 
supposed  to  be  the  most  western  point  of  the  old  world,  and  was  employed 
by  all  geographers  as  their  first  meridian,  or  the  point  from  which  they 
calculated  longitude. 

Flamingo,  an  aquatic  bird,  of  which  there  are  two  species.  The  one  re 
ferred  to  in  this  volume  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  tropical  parts  of  America, 
and  migrates  in  the  summer  season  to  the  Southern,  and  sometimes, 
though  seldom,  to  the  Middle  States.  It  is  from  three  to  four  feet  in 
height,  of  a  deep  red  color  with  black  quills.  "  They  live  in  large  flocks, 
frequenting  desert  sea-coasts  and  salt-marshes.  They  are  shy  and  watch 
ful.  While  feeding  they  keep  together,  drawn  up  artificially  in  lines, 
which,  at  a  distance,  resemble  those  of  an  army.  They  employ  some  'to 
act  as  sentinels,  for  the  security  of  the  rest.  On  the  approach  of  danger 
these  sentinels  give  warning  by  a  loud  sound,  like  that  of  a  trumpet, 
which  may  be  heard  at  a  great  distance.  When  flying,  they  form  a  tri 
angle."  They  feed  on  shell-fish,  insects,  and  the  spawn  of  fishes. 

Flanders.     See  Flemish, 

Flemish,  relating  to  Flanders,  a  country  situated  partly  in  France  and  partly 
in  the  Netherlands. 

Florentine,  an  inhabitant  of  Florence,  the  capital  of  Tuscany. 

Flores,  one  of  the  Azores  or  Western  Islands,  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

Foray,  act  of  ravaging  ;  as  used  in  this  volume,  a  hunting  excursion. 

Franciscan,  a  religious  order  of  monks,  founded  in  1208,  by  St.  Francis  of 
Assisi,  in  Umbria.     The  order  was  originally  distinguished  by  vows  of 
absolute  poverty,  and  a  renunciation  of  all  the  pleasures  of  the  world. 
25 


THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

Their  common  dress  is  a  coarse  woolen  frock,  with  a  cord  round  the 
waist,  to  which  is  suspended  a  rope  with  a  knotted  scourge.  "  An  interest 
ing  comparison  might  be  made  between  St.  Franciscus  and  St.  Dominic. 
The  first  labored  all  his  life  to  relieve  the  poor  and  persecuted,  to  propa 
gate  the  gospel  among  the  lower  classes,  who,  in  those  convulsed  periods, 
were  almost  entirely  excluded,  in  most  countries,  from  education  and  in 
struction  in  Christianity  ;  whilst  St.  Dominicus  strove  to  spread  Chris 
tianity  by  persecution.  The  character  of  the  two  is  deeply  imprinted  on 
the  two  orders — the  humble  Franciscans  and  the  zealous  Dominicans." 

Friar,  a  term  derived  from  the  Spanish,  French,  and  Italian  word  for 
brother,  and  applied  to  monks,  as  associated  or  bound  together  in 
brotherhood. 

Furling,  rolling  up  and  fastening  the  sails  of  vessels. 

Genoese,  belonging  or  relating  to  Genoa. 

George,  St.     See  Saint  George. 

Giralda,  a  Spanish  name  for  a  vane  or  weathercock  in  the  form  of  a  statue  ; 
derived  from  the  statue  of  a  woman  put  on  the  spire  of  the  cathedral 
church  of  Seville. 

Gloria  in  excelsis  Deo,  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  the  commencing  words 
of  a  hymn  of  praise  to  the  Almighty. 

Grand  or  Great  Khan,  a  title  given  in  the  north  of  Asia  to  the  highest  royal 
dignitary. 

Grand  Soldan,  Sultan,  king. 

Grapplings,  iron  instruments  having  four  or  five  sharp-pointed  flukes  or 
claws,  and  used  in  naval  engagements  to  seize  hold  of  and  secure  an 
enemy's  ship. 

Gray  Friar,  a  monk  of  the  Franciscan  order  ;  which  see. 

Guanin,  adulterated  gold. 

Hacienda,  country  seat. 

Hebrew,  the  language  of  the  Jews  or  Israelites,  the  descendants  of  Abraham. 

Heir-apparent,  one  who  has  an  absolute  and  exclusive  right  to  succeed  to 
an  estate  or  crown. 

Ilerrera,  a  Spanish  historian,  who  was  born  at  Cuellar,  in  Segovia,  in  1559, 
and  died  1625. 

Hidalgo,  in  Spain,  a  person  of  noble  birth. 

High  Admiral,  as  used  in  this  volume,  admiral-in-chief,  or  highest  officer. 

High  Altar.  In  Roman  Catholic  churches,  there  are  several  altars  ;  the 
principal  one  is  elevated  above  the  others,  and  is  called  the  high  altar. 

His  Holiness,  a  title  of  the  Pope. 

Hispaniola,  Hayti,  or  San  Domingo,  one  of  the  largest  and  most  fertile  of 
the  West  India  Islands,  named  by  Columbus  Kspanola,  from  a  fancied 
resemblance  to  some  of  the  beautiful  provinces  of  Spain. 


GLOSSARY.  387 

Holy  Chair,  a  term  frequently  used  for  Pope,  as  "  the  crown  "  is  often 
used  instead  of  king. 

Holy  Sepulchre,  the  supposed  tomb  or  burial-place  of  Christ,  in  Jerusalem. 

Holy  Writ,  the  Bible. 

India,  Indians,  names  given  to  this  country  and  to  its  inhabitants,  by  Co 
lumbus,  on  his  discovery  of  America,  under  the  impression  that  it  was  the 
eastern  coast  of  Asia,  for  which  he  was  in  search,  that  he  had  reached. 
Subsequently,  when  the  mistake  was  ascertained,  the  name  was  retained 
with  the  word  West  prefixed,  so  as  to  distinguish  the  country  from  the 
other,  or  East  Indies.  At  a  later  period  the  name  West  Indies  was 
restricted  to  the  islands,  which  now  retain  it,  lying  between  North  and 
South  America. 

Indulgence,  remission  of  punishment  due  to  sins  ;  granted  by  the  Pope  or 
Romish  Church. 

Infidels,  disbelievers  of  Christianity. 

Israelite,  a  Jew. 

Junta,  a  high  council  of  state. 

Junto,  a  council. 

Labrador,  an  extensive  country  of  North  America,  seven  hundred  miles 
long  from  north  to  south,  and  five  hundred  miles  broad,  situated  between 
Hudson's  Bay,  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  Canada.  It  belongs  to  Great 
Britain,  and  is  annexed  to  the  government  of  Newfoundland.  The 
severity  of  the  climate  and  the  barrenness  of  the  region,  confining  the 
visits  of  foreigners  principally  to  the  coasts,  it  has  never  been  fully 
explored. 

Lactantius,  a  celebrated  orator  and  author,  supposed  to  have  been  an 
African.  He  was,  at  first,  a  teacher  of  rhetoric,  and  afterwards  the  tutor 
of  Crispus,  the  eldest  son  of  Constantine  the  Great.  On  account  of  the 
purity  and  eloquence  of  his  language  he  is  frequently  styled  the  Chris 
tian  Cicero.  He  died  about  325. 

Latine,  or  Lateen,  a  triangular  sail,  frequently  used  by  vessels  navigating 
the  Mediterranean  Sea. 

Lay-Brother,  a  pious  but  illiterate  person,  who  devotes  himself  in  some 
convent  or  monastery'to  the  service  of  the  religious  (as  that  class  devoted 
exclusively  to  religious  affairs  is  termed) ;  being  too  ignorant  to  become 
a  clerk  (or  clergyman),  he  applies  himself  wholly  to  bodily  labor. 

Levant,  from  the  Italian  and  French,  signifying  the  East.  In  a  general 
sense,  this  name  is  used  to  designate  the  countries  on  the  eastern  coast 
of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  in  a  more  contracted  sense,  the  Asiatic 
coasts  from  Constantinople  to  Alexandria,  in  Egypt. 

Lucayan,  an  inhabitant  of  the  Bahama  Islands. 

Lucayos,  the  Bahama  Islands. 


388  THE  LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

Martin  Behem  or  Behaim,  one  of  the  most  learned  mathematicians  and 
astronomers  of  his  age,  born  at  Nuremberg  about  1430. 

Master  of  the  game,  the  winner. 

Mayorazgo,  an  entailed  estate. 

Medina  Celi,  a  Spanish  town  in  Old  Castile,  eighty-four  miles  southwest  of 
Saragossa. 

Medina  Sidonia,  a  Spanish  town  in  Andalusia,  twenty-two  miles  southeast 
of  Cadiz. 

Mohammedan,  a  follower  of,  or  believer  in,  the  doctrines  of  Mohammed,  an 
individual  born  at  Mecca,  in  Arabia,  A.D.  569,  and  who  in  the  year  609 
announced  himself  as  an  apostle  of  God.  His  religious  code,  written  in 
Arabic,  is  contained  in  a  book  called  the  Koran,  or  Al  Koran,  a  word  sig 
nifying  The  reading,  or  that  which  is  to  be  read  ;  his  doctrines  were  promul 
gated  as  revelations  of  the  divine  will.  "  The  first  tenet  of  his  creed  was, 
'Allah  alone  is  God,  and  Mohammed  is  his  prophet.'  Moses  and  Christ 
were  regarded  by  him  as  divinely  inspired  teachers  of  former  times  ;  he 
did  not  deny  the  authenticity  of  the  sacred  histories  and  revelations  of 
Christianity,"  but  believed  them  to  have  become  corrupted  ;  he  declared 
himself  as  sent  \.Q  perfect  the  work  of  redemption  already  commenced. 
The  heaven  he  promised  his  followers  was  one  of  sensual  pleasures.  "  His 
morality  was  compiled  from  the  ancient  Jewish  and  Christian  systems. 
The  chief  points  in  it  are,  the  faithful  adoration  of  Allah  as  the  only  God, 
unwavering  obedience  to  the  commands  of  the  prophet  (that  is,  himself), 
the  necessity  of  prayer,  charity  to  the  poor,  purifications,  abstinence 
from  forbidden  enjoyments  (especially  from  strong  drinks,  a  prohibition 
caused  by  the  quarrels  that  arose  among  his  adherents),  bravery,  upholding, 
even  to  death,  the  cause  of  God,  and  entire  resignation  to  unavoidable 
fate."  His  doctrines  were  widely  disseminated  by  means  of  the  sword 
and  violence,  and  to  this  day  extensively  prevail  in  Asia  and  Africa.  It 
is  unnecessary  for  us  to  draw  a  comparison  between  him  and  the  Founder 
of  Christianity,  who  preached  Peace  on  earth,  good-will  to  man.  Moham 
med  died  at  Medina,  A.D.  632.  and  in  the  holy  chapel  there  is  an  urn, 
surrounded  with  iron  trellis-work,  which  constitutes  his  sepulchre. 

Moors,  a  class  of  the  inhabitants  of  western  Africa,  particularly  of  Fez  and 
Morocco.  The  name  was  given  to  them  by  the  Spanish  writers,  who 
derived  it  from  Mauritania,  as  that  part  of  Africa  which  they  inhabited 
was  called  by  the  Romans.  They  held  dominion  in  Spain  for  eight  hun 
dred  years  ;  and  were  finally  conquered,  and  their  kingdom  of  Granada 
subdued,  in  1491,  by  Ferdinand,  after  a  ten  years'  war.  After  their  subju 
gation,  a  part  of  them  "went  to  Africa  ;  but  most  of  them  remained  in 
Spain,  where  they  were  industrious,  peaceful  subjects,  and  adopted  gen 
erally  the  external  forms  of  Christianity.  The  latter  were  called  in  Spain, 


GLOSSARY.  389 

Moriscoes.  Philip  II.,  in  his  ferocious  zeal  for  Christianity,  resolved 
upon  their  entire  destruction.  His  oppressions  and  persecutions  excited 
an  insurrection  of  the  Moriscoes  in  Granada  (1571),  after  the  suppression 
of  which  over  one  hundred  thousand  of  them  were  banished.  Philip  III., 
in  the  same  fanatic  spirit,  completed  their  expulsion,  and  nearly  a  million 
of  them  emigrated  to  Africa.  As  they  were  the  most  ingenious  and  in 
dustrious  inhabitants  of  Spain,  they  were  a  great  loss  to  the  country. 
Agriculture  speedily  fell  into  decay,  and  their  expulsion  is  regarded  as 
one  of  the  leading  causes  of  the  decline  of  Spain. 

Moorish,  or  Saracenic,  Arch,  in  building,  an  arch  which  is  sometimes  lancet- 
shaped  or  pointed,  and  sometimes  either  of  a  crescent  or  horseshoe  form. 
It  is  supposed  to  have  been  introduced  into  Spain  by  the  Moors,  and  by 
them  first  used  in  buildings  there  erected.  An  explanation  of  different 
kinds  of  arches,  with  cuts,  may  be  found  in  Bigelow's  "  Useful  Arts," 
published  as  vols.  xi.  and  xii.  of  ' '  The  School  Library. " 

Moslem,  a  Mohammedan.  Every  one  who  acknowledges  the  unity  of  God 
and  the  apostleship  of  Mohammed  is  called  a  Moslem  ;  that  is,  one  who 
has  given  himself  up  to  the  will  of  God,  and  is  therefore  in  a  state  of 
salvation. 

Muscatel,  or  Muscadel,  from  the  Italian  moscadello,  a  sweet  wine,  so  named 
from  its  flavor. 

Ne  plus  ultra,  a  Latin  phrase,  literally  meaning  nothing  more  beyond  ;  used 
in  this  volume  to  denote  the  extreme  limit,  or  farthest  point  of  discovery. 

Nereids,  sea-nymphs,  named  after  Nereus,  a  fabled  deity  of  the  sea. 

Newfoundland,  an  island  in  the  North  Atlantic  Ocean  (separated  from  the 
North  American  continent  by  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle  and  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence),  which  was  discovered  in  1497,  by  Sebastian  Cabot.  See  his 
Life,  in  vol.  v.  of  "The  School  Library." 

New  World,  America. 

Northmen,  the  inhabitants  of  Norway,  Sweden,  and  Denmark,  who  were  so 
called  in  early  times. 

Nubian,  relating  to  Nubia,  a  country  of  Africa,  south  of  Egypt,  and  lying 
on  each  side  of  the  River  Nile.  It  is  the  northern  part  of  ancient  Ethi 
opia.  Its  inhabitants  are  perfectly  black. 

Nuncio,  the  Pope's  ambassador. 

Ophir,  a  place  frequently  mentioned  in  Scripture,  and  supposed  to  have  been 
situated  in  the  East  Indies  or  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Africa.  It  was  cele 
brated  for  its  gold,  ivory,  spices,  and  other  valuable  productions,  for  which 
it  was  visited  in  the  time  of  David  and  Solomon. 

Optical  Delusion,  deception  of  the  eyesight. 

Order  of  Santiago,  or  St.  James,  a  Spanish  military  order,  instituted  in  1170, 
by  Ferdinand  II.,  to  stop  the  incursions  of  the  Moors.  The  battle-cry  of 


39°  THE   LIFE    OF   COLUMBUS. 

the  Spaniards,  when  engaging  the  Moors,  was  Santiago.  "  The  knights 
were  required  to  prove  their  descent  from  families  that  have  been  noble 
on  both  sides  for  four  generations,  and  that  their  ancestors  had  neither 
been  Jews,  Saracens,  nor  heretics,  nor  called  in  question  by  the  Inquisi 
tion.  Their  vows  are  those  of  poverty,  obedience,  conjugal  fidelity,  and 
the  defence  of  the  immaculate  conception  of  the  Holy  Virgin. 

Our  Lady,  a  name  by  which  the  Virgin  Mary  is  sometimes  called  by  Roman 
Catholics. 

Papal  Bull,  an  instrument,  ordinance,  or  decree  of  the  Pope,  relating  to 
matters  of  faith,  or  the  affairs  of  the  Romish  Church,  written  on  parch 
ment,  and  having  a  leaden  or  golden  seal.  The  name,  from  the  Italian 
bolla,  was  originally  applied  to  the  seal  itself. 

Papal  Chair,  the  throne  of  the  Pope. 

Patents,  writings,  given  by  the  proper  authority  and  duly  authenticated, 
granting  a  privilege  to  some  person  or  persons. 

Pater  Noster,  the  Lord's  prayer  ;  so  called  from  the  first  two  Latin  words, 
signifying  Our  Father. 

Patios,  courts,  or  open  spaces  in  front  of,  or  behind,  houses. 

Patriarch,  in  the  Church,  a  dignitary  or  officer  superior  to  the  archbishop. 

Payed,  from  pay,  a  nautical  or  sea  phrase,  implying  to  daub  or  anoint 
the  surface  of  any  body  in  order  to  preserve  it  from  injury  by  water  or 
weather. 

Penitences,  sufferings  endured  as  an  expression  of  repentance  for  sins. 

Phantasy,  freak,  caprice. 

Phenicians,  inhabitants  of  Phenicia,  a  territory  in  Syria,  on  the  eastern  coast 
of  the  Mediterranean,  and  northwest  of  Palestine,  the  principal  cities  of 
which  were  Tyre  and  Sidon.  The  Phenicians  were  early  celebrated  as 
adventurous  mariners,  and  the  invention  of  letters  is  attributed  to  them. 
They  planted  colonies  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  particularly 
Carthage,  Hippo,  Marseilles,  and  Utica,  and  their  manufactures  acquired 
such  a  superiority  over  Chose  of  other  nations,  that  among  the  ancients 
whatever  was  elegant,  great,  or  pleasing,  either  in  apparel  or  domestic 
utensils,  was  called  Sidonian.  In  the  time  of  Solomon,  it  is  said,  there 
were  "  none  who  were  skilled  how  to  hew  timber  like  the  Sidonians." 

Pillars  of  Hercules.  According  to  some  authors,  two  pillars  are  said  to  have 
been  erected  by  Hercules,  a  celebrated  hero  in  ancient  mythology,  upon 
the  mountains  on  each  side  of  the  strait  named  after  him  (now  known  as 
the  Straits  of  Gibraltar),  intended  to  point  out  the  limits  of  his  wander 
ings  to  the  west.  By  other  authors  the  mountains  themselves  are  called 
the  "  Pillars."  That  on  the  Asiatic  side  is  called  Abyla,  that  on  the  Eu 
ropean  side,  Calpe.  The  latter  is  now  Gibraltar. 

Plato,  a  celebrated  Greek  philosopher,  born  about  429  B.  c.     He  died  on  his 


GLOSSARY.  391 

eighty-second  birthday.  His  name  was  given  him  (from  a  Greek  word, 
signifying  broad)  on  account  of  the  breadth  of  his  chest  and  fore 
head. 

Pliny,  a  distinguished  Roman  scholar  and  historian.  His  best  known  and 
most  valued  work  is  that  entitled  "  Natural  History,  or  History  of  the 
World."  He  filled  many  public  offices.  All  time  not  required  for  official 
duties  he  devoted  to  his  literary  pursuits.  "  He  was  a  very  early  riser, 
even  in  winter  ;  often  did  not  retire  to  bed  at  all  ;  and  used  to  read  while 
at  meals,  and  in  the  bath,  or  had  some  one  to  read  to  him.  He  diligently 
noted  down  everything  of  importance  ;  and  often  said,  that  no  book  was 
so  bad  but  that  something  might  be  learned  from  it."  When  not  able  to 
write,  he  dictated  to  others.  He  fell  a  sacrifice  to  his  spirit  of  inquiry, 
in  the  year  79  ;  when,  being  near  Vesuvius,  during  a  terrible  eruption  of 
that  volcano,  he  was  induced  to  approach  it,  in  order  to  examine  it  the 
more  closely,  and  whilst  engaged  in  his  scientific  investigations,  on  the 
second  day,  "  he  perished  by  a  suffocating  vapor  which  spread  over  the 
whole  country." 

Posada,  a  tavern  or  inn. 

Promised  Land,  Palestine,  anciently  called  Canaan.  It  received  the  name 
of  Land  of  Promise  (see  Heb.  xi.  9)  on  account  of  having  been  promised 
to  the  posterity  of  Abraham.  "  It  embraces  the  coast  of  Syria  on  the 
Mediterranean,  from  Lebanon  south  to  the  limits  of  Egypt,  and  was  one 
of  the  most  fertile  countries  of  the  old  world." 

Ptolemy,  a  celebrated  geographer,  mathematician,  and  astronomer,  born  in 
Egypt  in  the  year  70,  who  is  considered  the  first  astronomer  of  antiquity. 
He  was  the  earliest  writer  who  sought  to  fix  the  situation  of  places  by 
their  latitude  and  longitude. 

Pundonor  (Spanish),  point  of  honor. 

Regidors,  magistrates  of  a  city. 

Repartimientos  (Spanish),  partition,  division,  distribution. 

Rover,  pirate,  freebooter. 

Sagas,  Icelandic  heroic  tales. 

Saint  Augustine,  one  of  the  most  renowned  fathers  of  the  Christian  Church. 
He  was  born  at  Tagaste,  a  small  city  in  Africa,  November  13,  354  ;  and 
died  at  Hippo,  August  28,  403. 

Saint  George,  "  the  holy  knight  ;  according  to  ancient  legends,  a  prince  of 
Cappadocia,"  which  was  formerly  one  of  the  most  important  provinces 
of  Asia.  "  His  greatest  achievement  was  the  conquest  of  a  dragon,  by 
which  he  effected  the  deliverance  of  a  king's  daughter.  He  is  commonly 
represented  on  horseback,  in  full  armor,  with  the  formidable  dragon 
writhing  at  his  feet.  The  drawing  is  founded  on  the  tradition  that  Aja, 
the  daughter  of  an  ancient  monarch,  was  met  by  a  dragon,  which  attacked 


392  THE   LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

and  threatened  to  devour  her."  The  knight,  passing  by,  slew  the  dragon 
and  rescued  the  lady.  The  ancient  Christian  emperors  bore  a  representa 
tion  of  the  knight  upon  their  standards.  To  these  sacred  banners  was 
attributed  a  miraculous  power,  and  it  was  supposed  that  those  who  fought 
under  them  were  sure  of  conquering.  St.  George  is  called  the  protector 
and  patron  of  the  English  nation. 

Saint  Thomas,  one  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  whose  name  has  been  given  to 
many  places.  The  reason  of  its  being  given,  by  Columbus,  to  the  place 
mentioned  on  page  151,  is  there  stated  ;  and  its  appropriateness  may  be 
judged  of  by  reference  to  the  Gospel  of  St.  John,  chapter  xx.,  verses  24  to 
29,  where  the  occurrence  is  recorded  that  Columbus  at  the  time  had  in 
mind. 

Salve  Regina,  the  name  of  the  vesper  or  evening  hymn  to  the  Virgin,  that 
is,  to  Mary,  the  mother  of  Christ. 

San  Antonio,  St.  Anthony,  born  in  Lisbon,  August  15,  1195,  and  died  at 
Padua,  Italy,  June  13,  1231.  He  was  a  disciple  of  St.  Francis,  and  a 
prominent  advocate  of  the  Franciscan  order.  He  is,  by  tradition,  said  to 
have  been  so  eloquent  that  the  very  fishes  were  moved  by  his  exhortations 
and  preaching. 

Santa  (Spanish),  Saint. 

Santa  Maria,  Holy  Mary  ;  an  exclamation  of  surprise  or  wonder. 

Satyrs,  wood  gods,  or  fabulous  deities  who  are  said  to  have  presided  over 
woods. 

Saturn,  one  of  the  fabulous  deities  of  the  ancients,  who  is  said  to  have 
taught  the  people  of  Italy  agriculture,  and  the  useful  and  liberal  arts. 
While  he  was  King  of  Italy  his  reign  was  so  mild  and  popular,  so  benefi 
cent  and  virtuous,  that  it  has  been  called  the  golden  age,  to  intimate  the 
happiness  and  tranquillity  which  the  earth  then  enjoyed. 

Scandinavian,  from  Scandinavia,  the  ancient  name  of  the  northern  portion 
of  Europe,  embracing  Norway,  Denmark,  Sweden,  Iceland,  etc. 

See,  the  jurisdiction  of  a  bishop  or  archbishop. 

Semi-barbarous,  half  savage  ;  partially  civilized. 

Seneca,  a  philosopher,  born  in  the  first  year  of  the  Christian  era,  at  Corduba, 
in  Spain.  Most  of  his  life  was  spent  in  Rome.  He  was  condemned  to 
death  upon  suspicion  of  being  engaged  in  a  conspiracy.  Being  allowed 
to  choose  the  manner  of  his  death,  he  caused  his  veins  to  be  opened  ;  but 
the  blood  not  flowing  rapidly,  he  swallowed  poison,  and  was  subsequently 
drowned  in  a  warm  bath. 

Senor,  Sir  or  master. 

Siesta  (Spanish),  the  time  for  taking  a  nap  after  dinner,  generally  from  one 
to  three  o'clock.  In  this  volume  it  signifies  the  nap  itself. 

Southern  Ocean,  the    sea   situated  south  of  an  imaginary  line  drawn  from 


GLOSSARY.  393 

Cape  Horn,  the  southern  extremity  of  the  American  continent,  to  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  continuing  east,  around  back  again  to  Cape 
Horn. 

Staff,  in  military  affairs,  consists  of  a  quartermaster-general,  adjutant- 
general,  majors  of  brigade,  aids-de-camp,  etc. ;  this  term,  therefore,  means 
generally  the  officers  whose  command  extends  over  several  bodies  of 
troops,  of  which  each  has  its  particular  officers.  The  term  is  derived 
from  the  baton  or  staff  which  was  formerly  carried  by  officers  high  in 
command. 

Strabo,  an  eminent  Greek  geographer,  born  in  Cappadocia,  about  the  year 
19  of  the  Christian  era.  He  travelled  extensively  in  Greece,  Italy, 
Egypt,  and  various  parts  of  Asia.  "  His  great  geographical  work,  in 
seventeen  books,  contains  a  full  account  of  the  manners  and  governments 
of  different  people,"  and  is  deemed  invaluable. 

Superhuman,  more  than  human  ;  divine. 

Superior,  the  head  or  chief  man  of  a  monastery. 

Te  Deum  laudamus,  We  praise  thee,  O  Lord  !  The  commencing  words  of  a 
hymn  of  praise,  frequently  chanted  on  the  occasion  of  some  great  national 
event. 

Teredo,  a  shell-fish  of  a  tubular  shape  and  about  six  inches  long.  It  is  very 
destructive  to  ships,  perforating  their  bottoms  in  all  directions.  One 
species  of  this  animal,  it  is  said,  has  more  than  once  threatened  Holland 
with  ruin,  by  the  destruction  of  the  dikes,  which  are  raised  to  prevent  the 
sea  from  overflowing  the  country. 

Terra  Firma,  literally,  firm  earth  or  solid  land  ;  used,  in  this  volume,  as  the 
mainland  or  continent. 

Thomas,  St.     See  Saint  Thomas. 

Thule,  a  name  given  by  the  ancients  to  the  most  extreme  land  to  the  north 
with  which  they  were  acquainted.  In  this  volume  Iceland  is  meant. 
Probably  the  name  was  not  always  applied  to  the  same  place,  by  different 
writers,  but  varied  with  the  progress  of  discovery. 

Tinto.  This  river  is  so  called  from  its  waters  being  tinged  of  a  yellow 
color.  It  is  situated  in  the  Spanish  province  of  Seville,  and  empties  into 
the  Atlantic  at  the  town  of  Huelva. 

Triptolemus,  an  ancient  king  of  Attica,  who  is  said  to  have  been  taught 
by  Ceres  everything  which  related  to  agriculture,  and  how  to  plow  the 
ground,  to  sow  and  reap  the  corn,  to  make  bread,  and  to  take  particular 
care  of  fruit-trees.  He  is  also  said  to  have  travelled  over  the  earth,  dis 
tributing  corn  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world. 

Tunis,  one  of  the  Barbary  States,  in  Africa,  situated  on  the  Mediterranean 
Sea,  between  Algiers  and  Tripoli. 

Ultima  Thule.     See  Thule. 


394  THE  .LIFE   OF  COLUMBUS. 

Variation  of  the  needle,  deviation  of  the  magnetic  needle  of  the  compass 
from  the  true  north  point,  towards  which  it  naturally  turns. 

Vasco  de  Garna,  a  Portuguese,  born  at  the  small  seaport  of  Sines,  of  a  noble 
family.  "  He  discovered  the  route  to  the  East  Indies  by  sea  ;  a  discovery 
of  the  greatest  importance,  not  only  in  regard  to  commerce,  but  to  the 
civilization  and  political  relations  of  Europe,  and  which  laid  the  founda 
tion  of  the  commercial  power  of  Portugal  in  the  Indian  seas."  He  died 
in  1524,  at  Goa,  in  the  East  Indies. 

Veering,  changing  the  course  of  a  vessel. 

Vega,  plain. 

Venetian,  belonging  or  relating  to  Venice. 

Venta,  an  inn. 

Vesper-peal,  the  sound  of  the  bell  for  evening  religious  service. 

Vicar,  representative. 

Vinland,  according  to  the  recent  investigations  of  the  Royal  Society  of 
Northern  Antiquaries,  at  Copenhagen,  this  name  was  given  by  the  Euro 
pean  voyagers,  who  are  supposed  to  have  visited  America  in  the  tenth  and 
eleventh  centuries,  to  that  portion  of  the  country  now  included  within  the 
limits  of  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island.  The  name  was  selected  in 
consequence  of  the  great  abundance  of  grape-vines  that  were  met  with  ; 
vinland,  vineland,  land  of  vines. 

Virgin  ore,  pure,  unadulterated  ore. 

Weather-boards,  boards  placed  in  an  inclined  position  to  prevent  the  sea 
from  breaking  in  upon  a  vessel. 

Yuca,  Yucca,  or  Jucca,  a  name  given  by  the  natives  of  America  and  the 
West  India  Islands  to  a  shrub  which  grows  to  the  height  of  three  feet, 
and  bears  broad,  shining,  hand-shaped  leaves,  and  beautiful  white  and 
rose-colored  flowers.  It  is  the  Jatropha  rnanihot  of  botanists.  Its  roots 
are  poisonous  in  their  natural  state,  but  when  prepared  by  heat  are  harm 
less  and  nutritive.  The  natives  of  this  continent  and  the  adjacent 
islands,  when  first  visited  by  the  Europeans,  were  in  the  practice  of  mak 
ing  a  kind  of  bread  of  these  roots,  which  they  called  Cassava  or  Cassada. 
Ztmi  (plural,  Zemes),  a  name  given  by  the  natives  of  the  island  of  His- 
paniola  to  supposed  inferior  deities,  who  acted  as  mediators  or  messengers 
between  the  Supreme  Being  and  man. 


INDEX. 


Aborigines  of  New  World,  71  ; 
customs  and  characteristics  of, 
152,  154,  168  ;  difficulties  with, 
loo,  130,  182,  192,  207,  227,  236, 
298,  299,  300  ;  their  subjection, 
194  ;  conspiracies  of,  227  ;  extir 
pation  of,  333. 

Acul,  Bay  of,  supposed  to  be  that  to 
which  Columbus  gave  the  name 
St.  Thomas,  89. 

Adelantado,  Columbus  appoints  his 
brother  Bartholomew,  180,  192, 
205  ;  appointment  confirmed  by 
the  sovereigns,  213. 

Admiral  and  Viceroy,  Columbus  de 
mands  to  be  appointed,  45  ;  is 
appointed,  48  ;  directs  his  heir 
never  to  use  any  other  title  in  his 
signature  than  "the  Admiral,"  213, 

349- 

Aguado,  Juan,  appointed  commis 
sioner,  200  ;  sails  from  Spain,  200  ; 
his  arrival  at  Hayti,  and  his  con 
duct,  200,  201 ;  departure  for 
Spain,  207  ;  result  of  his  mission, 

2IO. 

Alcantara,  order  of,  272. 

Alexander  VI.,  Pope,  his  character, 
120  ;  his  bull  dividing  the  New 
World  between  Spain  and  Portu 
gal,  121. 

Alhambra,  44,  257,  268,  277,  340. 

Alpha  and  Omega,  name  given  by 
Columbus  to  eastern  end  of  Cuba, 
83,  165- 

Alphonso  of  Portugal,  cause  of  dis 
covery  languishes  under,  20. 

Alvarado,  Diego  de,  261. 

Amazons,  101,  207. 

America,  Scandinavian  voyages   to, 


iii. ,  iv. ;  knowledge  of,  lost  to 
kind,  iv. 

Amerigo  Vespucci,  251,  342. 

Anacaona,  wife  of  Caonabo,  226, 
229,  253,  254,  331,  332. 

Anana  or  pineapple,  first  met  with, 
128. 

Ancients,  geographical  theories  of, 
II,  12,  13,  14. 

Andalusia,  Palos  in,  see  Palos.  In 
habitants  of  the  seaboard  ordered 
to  furnish  Columbus  with  supplies, 
51,  122. 

Angel,  Luis  de  St.,  receiver  of  the 
ecclesiastical  revenues  ©f  Arragon, 
appeals  to  the  queen  in  behalf  of 
Columbus,  and  is  successful,  46 ; 
offers  to  advance  the  funds  neces 
sary,  and  his  offer  is  accepted,  47. 

Anjou,  John  of,  Duke  of  Calabria, 
fits  out  a  naval  expedition,  4. 

Antilla,  island  of,  II,  16. 

Antilles,  16,  79,  128. 

Arabian  geographer's  description  of 
the  Atlantic,  iv. 

Arana,  Diego  de,  notary  and  alguazil 
of  the  armament,  left  in  command 
at  La  Navidad,  97,  133,  137. 

Archipelago,  in  Caribbean  Sea,  168, 
306. 

Arenal,  Point,  220. 

Areytos,  rhymes  or  ballads  of  the 
natives,  158,  196. 

Aristotle's  opinion  of  the  ocean,  14  ; 
description  of  a  weedy  sea,  61. 

Arragon,  Ferdinand,  king  of,  28. 

Arrows,  Gulf  of,  100,  133, 

Asia,  Columbus  thinks  he  has  arrived 
at,  119,  172,  353. 

Assassination  of  Columbus  pro 
posed  to  King  John  of  Portugal, 
109. 


396 


INDEX 


Atlantic,  description  of,  by  Xerif  al 

Edresi,  iv. 
,  mariners  feared  to  embark  on, 

8. 
Atlantis,    island  of,  Egyptian  legend 

respecting,  iii,  n. 
Augustine,  St.,  Cape,   271. 
Aura  Chersonesus,  172,  293,  309. 
Azna,  port  of,  245. 
Azores,  17,  105,  121. 


Babeque,  a  word  used  by  natives, 
and  supposed  by  Columbus  to  be 
the  name  of  an  island  or  province, 
81. 

Badajoz,  Fonseca,  Bishop  of,  214. 

Bahama  Islands,  Columbus  first  lands 
on  one  of  them,  75- 

Ballester,  Miguel,  232,  240. 

Baptism  of  Indians,  123,  133. 

Barcelona,  court  at,  in  ;  reception  of 
Columbus  at,  114,  342. 

Barrameda,  San  Lucar  de,  216. 

Bastides,  288. 

Battles  with  natives,  100,  131,  182, 
192,  207.  227,  236,  297,  298,  299. 

Bautista,  San  Juan,  island,  131. 

Bayonne,  in. 

Baza,  Columbus  at  surrender  of.  39  : 
menace  from  Grand  Soldan  of 
Egypt  brought  to,  39. 

Behechio,  cacique,  184,  185,  226, 
228,  331. 

Belen  or  Bethlehem,  River,  292,  294. 

Bell,  the  wonder  of  the  savages, 
187. 

Benin,  a  powerful  kingdom  said  lobe 
east  of  it,  21. 

Bermejo,  Rodriguez,  discovers  land, 
70  ;  his  disappointment  at  not  re 
ceiving  a  reward,  118. 

Bethlehem,  River,  292,  294. 

Birth  and  parentage  of  Columbus,  I. 

Biscay,  Bay  of,  in. 

Bias,  Point,  306. 

Bloodhounds,  192. 

Bobadilla,  Francisco  de.  259;  ap 
pointed  commissioner,  259  ;  arrests 
Columbus  and  sends  him  home  in 
irons,  263  ;  indignation  of  the  sov 


ereigns,   and  his  recall,   269,  270  ; 

sails  for  Spain,  281  ;  perishes  in  a 

tempest,  282. 
Boca  del  Drago,  223,  251. 
Bohio,   a  name   used  by  the  natives, 

and  supposed  by  Columbus  to  be 

the  name  of  an  island  or  province, 

81. 
Bojador,   Cape,   belief   that   whoever 

doubled  it  would  never   return,  8  ; 

doubled    under    Prince    Henry    of 

Portugal,   9. 

Bonao,  village,  240,  246,  254,  255. 
Boriquen,  island,  131. 
Boyle,    see  Buyl. 
Brandan,    a    Scottish   priest,  said    to 

have  discovered  an  imaginary  island 

in  the  Atlantic,  12. 
Brazil,  124. 

Breviesca,  Ximeno  de,  215. 
Buentiempo,  Gulf  of,  166. 
Bull,  Papal,  see  Papal. 
Burgos,   Columbus  meets   the  sover 
eigns  at,  210. 
Buyl,  or  Boyle,  Bernardo,  the  Pope's 

vicar    in    New     World,    122,    140, 

162,  164,  181,  191,  198,  200,  210. 


C. 


Cabals.  64,  66,  67,  68,  147,  162. 

Cabinet,  or  El  Retrete,  288. 

Cabo  de  la  Cruz,  168,  175. 

Cabral,  Pedro  Alvarez,  277. 

Cabron,  Cape,  236. 

Cacique  visits  Columbus,  89. 

of  Cibao,  or  Maguana,  see  Cao- 

nabo  and  Manicaotex.  OfCiguay, 
sec  M  ay  on  a  be  x.  Of  Grand  River, 
see  Gautiguana.  Of  Higuey,  scf 
Cotabanama.  Of  Marion,  see 
Guacanagari.  Of  Vega  Real,  or 
Royal  Plain,  see  Guarionex.  Of 
Veragua,  see  Cjuibian.  Of  Xaragua, 
see  Behechio. 

Cacicjue,  female,   married  to  Miguel 
Dia/,  204,  224. 
—  of     Jamaica    visits    Columbus, 

-,  !75- 
Cadiz,  Columbus  sails  from,  126,  279; 

returns  to,  209,  268. 
Cado,  Firmin,  147,  151. 


INDEX. 


397 


Cahay,  province  of,  253,  254. 

Calatrava,  order  of,  259. 

Calicut,  277. 

Cambalu,  mentioned  by  Marco  Polo. 
14. 

Canary  Islands,  rediscovery  of,  7  ; 
optical  delusion  of  inhabitants  of, 
ii  ;  Columbus  touches  at,  57,  127. 

Cannibals,  128. 

Canoes  of  the  natives,  76,  166. 

Caonabo,  cacique  of  Cibao,  94,  134, 
138,  161,  163,  182,  183,  184,  187, 
188  ;  captured  by  Ojeda,  189  ;  his 
brother  heads  the  allied  caciques, 
191  ;  death  of,  208. 

Cape  Cruz,  168,  175. 

Cuba,  name  given  by  Columbus, 

82. 

de  la  Vela,  251. 

de  Verde,  9,  13,  23,  121,  124, 

216,  218. 

Fran9ois,  156. 

••        Gracias  a  Dios,  285. 

Honduras,  285. 

Maysi,  165. 

Nombre  de  Dios,  288. 

Non,  108. 

of  Good  Hope,  178,  277. 

of  Palms,  name  given  by  Co 
lumbus  to  a  headland  in  Cuba,  79. 

St.  Augustine,  271. 

St.  Vincent,  5,  17. 

Tiburon,  176,  226,  325. 

Carib,  92,  100,  128,  145,   182,  189. 

Carribbean  Islands,  100,  101,  128, 
130,  175,  207,  216,  251,  279. 

Sea,  128. 

Carvajal,  Alonzo  Sanchez  de,  164, 
239,  240,  242  ;  Columbus  appoints 
him  his  agent  in  Hispaniola,  274, 
282. 

Castile,  Isabella,  queen  of,  28  ;  crown 
of,  1 20,  see  Spain,  and  Isabella  ; 
Philip  and  Juana,  king  and  queen 
of,  345- 

Catalina,  Indian  captive,  140,  141  ; 
female  cacique  married  to  Miguel 
Diaz,  205. 

Cathay,  mention  of,  16,  17,  49,  80, 
165. 

Cat  Island,  name  given  to  San  Sal 
vador  by  the  English,  75. 

Cavern  near  Cape  Franyois,  whence  j 


the  natives  supposed  the  sun  and 
moon  to  have  emerged,  156. 

Cazadilla,  Bishop  of  Ceuta,  opposes 
the  plans  of  Columbus,  22;  suggests 
a  scheme  to  defraud  Columbus  of 
the  honor  of  his  enterprise,  23. 

Centaurs — the  inhabitants  of  Hispa 
niola  at  first  suppose  the  rider  and 
horse  to  be  one  animal,  150. 

Character  of  Columbus,  9,  18,  58, 
116,  348  ;  of  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon, 
see  Pinzon. 

Characteristics  of  the  natives,  150. 

Chersonesus,  Aura,  172,  293,  309. 

Christian  faith,  Columbus  anxious  to 
propagate.  49,  50. 

Christoval,  St.,  Fort,  224. 

Cibao,  mentioned  by  Guacanagari  as 
a  gold  region,  94  ;  cacique  of,  134  ; 
mountains  of,  145,  148,  151,  184, 
205,  208. 

Ciguare,  kingdom  of,  286,  288. 

Ciguay,  mountains  of,  100,  101,  235. 

Cintra,  rock  of,  Columbus  arrives  at, 

100. 

Cipango,  supposed  island  of,  16,  56, 
76,  94- 

Coast  of  Contradictions,  292. 

Coasting  of  Hispaniola.  83. 

Coat-of-Arms  of  Columbus,  117. 

Colombo,  with  whom  Columbus  made 
his  first  voyages,  3,  4,  5. 

Colombo,  Juan  Antonio,  239. 

COLUMBUS,  birth,  parentage,  educa 
tion,  and  early  life  of,  i  ;  sails  with 
Colombo,  3,  4,  5  ;  engaged  in  a 
desperate  battle,  5  ;  providential 
escape,  6  ;  first  arrival  in  Portugal, 
6  ;  his  residence  in  Lisbon,  9  ;  de 
scription  of  his  person,  9  ;  his 
temper  and  disposition,  10  ;  his 
piety,  10,  1 8  ;  his  marriage,  10  ;  in 
formation  derived  from  his  mother- 
in-law,  10  ;  naturalized  in  Portugal, 
10 ;  sails  to  Guinea,  10 ;  makes 
maps  and  charts,  n  ;  conceives 
the  idea  of  crossing  the  Atlantic, 

12  ;    grounds  of   his  belief  in  ex 
istence  of    undiscovered   lands    in 
the  West,  13  ;  his  correspondence 
with  Toscanelli,  13  ;  his  geograph 
ical  and   astronomical  knowledge, 

13  ;  information  from  Marco  Polo, 


INDEX. 


14  ;  encouraged  by  Toscanelli  to 
seek  India  by  a  western  route,  14  ; 
Marco  Polo's  work  a  key  to  many 
of  the  ideas  of  Columbus,  16  ;  con 
jectural  map  by  which  Columbus 
governed  himself  in  his  first  voyage, 
16  ;  his  enterprise  aided  by  two 
happy  errors,  17,  18  :  his  deep  re 
ligious  sentiment,  and  enthusiastic 
nature  of  his  conceptions,  18,  50  ; 
voyage  to  Thule,  19  ;  presents  his 
views  to  King  John  of  Portugal, 

22  :  subject   referred  to  a  junto  of 
learned   men,  22  ;    they  reject   the 
project,   22  ;   subject  referred  to  a 
council,  who   also    rejected   it,  23  ; 
scheme    of    Cazadilla    to    defraud 
Columbus,  23  ;  his  indignation,  and 
refusal    to     negotiate    again    with 
King  John,  23  ;  death  of  his  wife, 

23  ;  departure  from   Portugal  in  a 
secret  manner,  on  account  of  being 
in   debt,  24  ;  a   year  of   his  life  in 
volved   in  uncertainty,  24  ;  propo 
sition  to  Genoa,  24;  rejected,  24  ; 
Venice.  24  ;  piety  to  his  father,  24  ; 
sends     his     brother    Bartholomew 
to  England,  24  ;  goes  to  Spain  in 
great    poverty,  25  ;     first    trace    of 
him     in    Spain,     25  ;     manuscript 
documents   of    a  lawsuit    between 
his   son    Diego  and  the  crown,  25  ; 
deposition  of  Fernandez,  physician 
of    Palos,    25  ;    conversation    with 
Friar  Juan   Perez,  25  ;    with  other 
inhabitants  of  Palos,  26  ;  his  views 
approved,  26  ;  concurrence  of  Mar 
tin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  26  ;  his  offer  of 
assistance,  26  ;  letter  of  Juan  Perez 
to  queen's  confessor,  26;  Columbus 
leaves  his  son  Diego  at  the  convent, 
and  departs  for  the  court,  27  ;  finds 
it   impossible   to  obtain  a  hearing, 
30  ;   treated  as  a  dreamer  and  mad 
man,     31  ;      supports     himself     by 
making  maps  and   charts,   31,  39  ; 
becomes  attached   to   Dona  Beatrix 
Enriquez,   mother  of  his  son   Fer 
nando.  31  ;    his   theory  gains  pros 
elytes,  31  ;    Quintanillu,    comptrol 
ler  of  the  finances,  the  Geraldinis, 
and  Mendoza.  countenance  him,  ^2; 
obtains   a   royal   audience,  32  ;   hib 


appearance  in  presence  of  the  king, 
32  ;  a  council  summoned  at  Sala 
manca,  33  ;  his  appearance  there, 
34  ;  their  objections,  34  ;  some  of 
the  council  are  convinced  of  the 
soundness  of  his  plans,  38  ;  his  at 
tendance  upon  the  court,  39  ;  en 
gaged  in  some  of  the  severest  cam 
paigns,  39  ;  his  personal  prowess, 
39  ;  present  at  the  surrender  of 
Malaga  and  Baza,  and  beholds  El 
Zagal  surrender  his  crown,  39  ;  in 
dignation  at  threat  of  Soldan  of 
Egypt,  39  ;  devotes  profits  of  his 
discoveries  to  a  crusade  for  res 
cue  of  Holy  Sepulchre,  39;  presses 
for  a  final  reply  from  the  sov 
ereigns,  40  ;  council  condemns 
the  scheme,  and  Columbus  quits 
the  court,  filled  with  disappoint 
ment  and  indignation,  40 ;  re 
ceives  favorable  letters  from  kings 
of  England  and  France,  41  ;  king 
of  Portugal  invites  him  to  return 
to  that  court,  41  ;  but  he  is  at 
tached  to  Spain,  41  ;  applies  to 
dukes  of  Medina  Sidonia  and  Me 
dina  Celi,  but  is  disappointed,  41  ; 
the  latter  writes  to  the  queen  in 
favor  of  Columbus,  42  ;  who  re 
turns  to  La  Rabida,  42  ;  through 
the  influence  of  Juan  Perez  he  is 
sent  for  by  the  queen,  42  ;  arrives 
in  time  to  witness  the  surrender  of 
Granada.  44  ;  remarks  of  an  ele 
gant  Spanish  writer  on  the  occa 
sion,  44  ;  the  Spanish  monarchs 
now  comply  with  his  requests,  45  ; 
difficulties  still  in  the  way,  45  ;  he 
demands  to  be  appointed  Admiral 
and  Viceroy,  and  have  one-tenth  of 
the  profits  of  his  discoveries,  45  ; 
offers  to  furnish  one-eighth  of  the 
cost,  45  ;  all  his  proposals  rejected, 
and  he  again  retires,  indignant  at 
his  treatment,  46  ;  his  friends  make 
a  bold  effort,  and  prevail  upon  the 
queen,  46  ;  who  now.  for  the  first 
time,  views  the  subject  in  its  real 
grandeur.  47  ;  resolves  to  pledge 
her  jewels  to  raise  the  necessary 
funds,  47  ;  Columbus  recalled,  and 
returns  to  the  court,  47  ;  has  an 


INDEX. 


399 


audience  of  the  queen,  48;  her 
benignity  atones  for  past  neglect, 
48  ;  articles  of  agreement  between 
Columbus  and  the  sovereigns,  48, 
4.9 ;  one  great  object  of  Columbus, 
the  propagation  of  the  Christian 
faith,  49  ;  anxious  to  recover  the 
holy  sepulchre  from  the  Infidels, 
50,  117;  his  son  Diego  appointed 
page  to  Prince  Juan,  51  ;  leaves 
the  court  and  repairs  to  Palos, 
eighteen  years  having  elapsed  since 
he  conceived  his  enterprise,  51  ; 
arrives  at  Palos,  and  received  at 
the  convent  with  open  arms,  51, 
52 ;  royal  order  for  the  caravels 
read  in  the  church,  52  ;  horror  of 
the  inhabitants,  52  ;  difficulties 
encountered,  52  ;  embarks,  54 ; 
inconsiderable  armament,  54  ;  Co 
lumbus  confesses  himself,  55  ; 
gloom  of  inhabitants  of  Palos  at 
the  embarkation,  55  ;  events  of  the 
first  voyage — difficulties,  56,  57  I 
cruising  about  the  Canary  Islands 
in  search  of  another  vessel,  57  ; 
three  Portuguese  caravels  seen  off 
Ferro,  57  ;  hearts  of  crews  fail  on 
losing  sight  of  land,  57,  58  ;  strat 
agem  of  keeping  two  reckonings, 
58  ;  falls  in  with  mast  of  a  large 
vessel,  58 ;  alarm  of  the  crew,  58  ; 
variation  of  the  needle  first  dis 
covered,  58  ;  high  opinion  enter 
tained  of  Columbus  as  an  astrono 
mer,  by  his  crew,  60  ;  serenity  of 
the  weather,  60  ;  signs  of  land,  61  ; 
Columbus  urged  to  change  his 
course,  61  ;  but  refuses,  61  ;  birds 
seen,  61  ;  sea  covered  with  weeds, 
6 1  ;  secret  cabals,  66  ;  Pinzon 
thinks  he  discovers  land,  and  Gloria 
in  excelsis  Deo  is  chanted,  66  ;  dis 
appointment,  66;  eager  excitement, 
66  ;  course  altered,  67  ;  complaints 
of  crew,  67 ;  open  rupture,  67 ; 
new  indications  of  land,  67;  Co 
lumbus  discovers  a  light,  68  ;  Ber- 
mejo  sees  land,  70  ;  feelings  of  Co 
lumbus,  70 :  his  first  landing  in 
the  New  World,  71  ;  his  sensa 
tions,  72  ;  he  takes  possession  in 
the  name  of  the  Castilian  sover 


eigns,  and  names  the  island  San 
Salvador,  72  ;  conduct  of  his  fol 
lowers,  72  ;  astonishment  of  the 
natives,  73  ;  Columbus  particu 
larly  attracts  their  attention,  74 ; 
supposes  himself  to  have  landed  in 
India,  and  calls  the  natives  Ind 
ians,  75  ;  gold  seen,  76 ;  Colum 
bus  interprets  the  signs  of  the 
natives  according  to  his  own  cher 
ished  wishes,  76 ;  sails  among  the 
islands,  76 :  enchanted  by  their 
lovely  scenery,  77  ;  searches  for 
Cuba,  78  ;  arrives  there,  78  ;  his 
feelings,  78  ;  sends  envoys  to  the 
interior  of  Cuba,  80  ;  they  return, 
unsuccessful,  81  ;  meet  with  natives 
smoking  tobacco,  81  ;  illusions  of 
Columbus,  81  ;  desertion  of  Martin 
Alonzo  Pinzon,  82 ;  discovery  of 
Hayti,  83 ;  Columbus  names  it 
Espanola,  or  Hispaniola,  85  ;  capt 
ure  of  a  female,  who  is  kindly 
treated  and  dismissed,  85  ;  inter 
course  with  a  young  cacique, 
87  ;  with  Guacanagari,  Cacique  of 
Marion,  89  ;  shipwreck,  90  ;  efforts 
of  Guacanagari  to  console  Colum 
bus,  90 ;  germ  of  a  colony,  96 ; 
fort  built  at  La  Navidad,  Hayti. 
97  ;  colony  left  there,  and  Colum 
bus  embarks  for  Spain,  98  ;  Pinzon 
rejoins  him,  99  ;  visits  and  names 
the  river  Rio  Gracia,  99:  visited 
by  the  people  of  Ciguay,  TOO  ; 
skirmish  with  them  at  the  Gulf  of 
Arrows,  or  Samana,  TOO  ;  their 
afterwards  friendly  feelings,  101  ; 
Columbus  makes  all  sail  for  Spain, 
101  ;  tempests,  101,  102  ;  Pinzon 
separated  from  Columbus,  102 ; 
lots  cast,  and  vows  of  pilgrimages 
and  penitences  made,  102  ;  repin- 
ings  of  the  crew,  102  ;  distress  of 
Columbus,  102  ;  writes  an  account 
of  the  voyage  on  parchment,  and 
sealing  it  in  a  cask,  throws  it  into 
the  sea,  104  ;  calm,  104  ;  inhospita 
ble  reception  at  St.  Mary's  Island, 
105  ;  part  of  his  crew  captured, 
105  ;  apology  of  governor,  105  ; 
departure,  106 ;  tempest,  106 ; 
anchors  at  mouth  of  Tagus,  106 ; 


4OO 


INDEX. 


visit  to  the  court  of  Portugal,  and 
cordial  reception,  108  ;  uneasiness 
of  the  king,  108  ;  proposal  to  him 
to  have  Columbus  assassinated, 
rejected,  109  ;  Columbus  visits  the 
queen  at  Villa  Franca,  1 10 ;  re 
turns  to  Palos,  no;  joy  of  in 
habitants,  no;  Columbus  writes  to 
the  sovereigns,  and  departs  for 
Seville,  in  ;  reply  of  the  sover 
eigns,  ill  ;  their  joy  and  astonish 
ment,  in  ;  honors  of  Columbus, 
in  ;  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon's  ar 
rival  at  Palos,  in  ;  reception  of 
Columbus  by  the  sovereigns  at 
Barcelona,  113  ;  coat-of-arms  be 
stowed  upon  him,  117  ;  pension  of 
thirty  crowns  awarded  to  him,  118  ; 
anecdote  respecting  the  egg,  119; 
preparations  for  second  voyage,  121, 
123  ;  difficulties,  125  ;  departure, 
126  ;  contrast  between  his  first  and 
second  departure,  126  ;  enthusiasm 
of  people,  127  ;  his  sons,  127  ; 
touches  at  Canary  Islands,  127 ; 
discovers  Dominica,  127  ;  can 
nibalism,  128  ;  men  missing,  128  ; 
search  for  them,  128  ;  their  return, 
130  ;  encounter  with  Indians.  130  ; 
islands  named  Eleven  Thousand 
Virgins,  discovered.  131  ;  Porto 
Rico  discovered,  131  ;  arrives  at 
Hayti,  131  ;  dismisses  one  of  the 
Indians  who  accompanied  him  to 
Spain,  133  ;  rinds  dead  bodies  on 
the  shore,  133  ;  arrives  at  La 
Navidad,  134  ;  finds  it  in  ruins, 
135  ;  visits  Guacanagari,  139  ; 
founds  City  of  Isabella,  142  ;  his 
sickness,  144  :  conspiracy  formed 
by  Diaz  de  Pisa,  147  ;  Columbus 
arrests  him,  148  ;  expedition  to 
Cibao,  148  ;  names  the  Vega  Real, 
150  ;  builds  a  fortress,  and  calls  it 
St.  Thomas,  151;  leaves  Pedro 
Margarite  in  command,  and  returns 
to  Isabella,  152;  difficulties  at  St. 
Thomas,  161  ;  at  Isabella,  163  ; 
letter  to  Margarile,  164 ;  forms 
junta  for  government  of  Hayti, 

164  ;    cruise  along   coast  of  Cuba. 

165  ;      discovers      Jamaica,      165  ; 
returns    to    Cuba,    166  ;    discovers 


Cabo  de  la  Cruz,  168  ;  Queen's 
Garden,  168  ;  delusions,  169; 
thinks  he  has  found  the  Aurea 
Chersonesus,  172 ;  vessels  worn 
out,  172  ;  obliges  his  officers  and 
crew  to  sign  a  deposition  that 
Cuba  was  a  continent,  173  ;  at  the 
same  time  this  error  could  have  been 
dispelled  by  looking  from  the  mast 
head,  173  ;  erects  a  cross  on  the 
banks  of  the  Rio  de  la  M  isa,  in  Cuba, 
173  ;  speech  of  a  venerable  Indian, 
173  ;  names  the  river,  175  ;  sails 
for  Jamaica,  175  ;  visited  by  a  ca 
cique  and  family.  175  ;  speech  of 
the  cacique,  176;  arrives  at  Hayti, 

176  ;    illness,  sinks  into  a  lethargy, 

177  ;    vessel    arrives  with  him    at 
Isabella,    177  ;     finds    his   brother 
Bartholomew,  178  ;  relation  of  Bar 
tholomew's  visit  to   England,  178  ; 
Columbus    appoints    him    adelan- 
tado,    180  ;  further  difficulties,  ab 
sconding  of  Margarite  and  Boyle, 
180,  181  ;  difficulties  with  natives, 
182  ;  Ojeda's    exploits,    183,    189  ; 
Guacanagari  visits  Columbus,  185  ; 
effects'of  the  illness  of  Columbus, 
185  ;  his  brothers,  185  ;  Ojeda  capt 
ures    Caonabo,     187  ;    and    brings 
him    to   Isabella,     189  ;    arrival    of 
ships  from   Spain,    with    flattering 
letter  from  the  sovereigns,  and  in 
vitation  to  return    to  Spain,    190  ; 
sends  his  brother  Diego  in  his  stead, 
191  ;  sends    Indian  captives   to  be 
sold  as    slaves,    191  ;    recovers    his 
health,     191  ;    new    troubles   with 
Indians,    191  ;    Columbus   marches 
against  them,  192;   battle,  in  which 
the  Indians  are  routed,  192  ;  erects 
fortresses  to  keep  the    Indians   in 
subjection,      194  ;      difficulties     in 
Spain,  accusations  against  Colum 
bus,    198  ;    his  influence    declines, 

199  ;  interference  with  his  rights, 
199 ;    Aguado   appointed   commis 
sioner,   200  ;  he  arrives  at    Hayti, 

200  ;  his  conduct,  200  ;  moderation 
of  Columbus,  201  ;  he  prepares  to 
sail  for  Spain,  202  ;  rich  gold  mines 
discovered,  204  ;  Columbus  thinks 
this    the    ancient    Ophir,    and    the 


INDEX. 


401 


mines  whence  Solomon  procured 
his  gold,  205  ;  leaves  his  brother 
Bartholomew  governor,  and  sails 
for  Spain,  207  ;  tedious  voyage, 
207  ;  death  of  Caonabo,  208  ;  short 
allowance  of  food,  209 ;  arrival  at 
Cadiz,  209  ;  feeble  appearance  of 
the  crews,  209 ;  Columbus  clothes 
himself  as  a  Franciscan  monk,  210  ; 
meets  the  sovereigns  at  Burgos, 
210 ;  his  reception,  210  ;  proposes 
a  third  voyage,  210  ;  the  sovereigns 
promise  to  comply  with  his  requests, 
but  a  long  delay  is  experienced, 
212  ;  Isabella  enters  into  his  plans 
with  spirit,  but  Ferdinand  looks 
coldly  on  him,  212 ;  he  is  re 
lieved  from  his  share  of  an  eighth 
part  of  the  cost,  212  ;  allowed  to 
establish  an  entailed  estate  in  his 
family,  213  ;  charges  his  successor 
to  use  no  other  title  than  "  the  Ad 
miral,"  213  ;  title  of  adelantado  con 
firmed  to  his  brother,  213  ;  difficul 
ties  in  procuring  voluntary  recruits, 
214;  Columbus  proposes  to  trans 
port  criminals,  214  ;  thwarted  by 
Fonseca,  214;  insulted  by  Ximeno, 
and  strikes  him,  215  ;  sails  on  his 
third  voyage,  216  ;  sultry  weather, 
218  ;  discovers  Trinidad,  and  the 
Orinoco,  219  ;  explores  the  Gulf  of 
Paria,  219;  surprise  at  phenomena, 
220  ;  returns  to  Hispaniola,  224  ; 
administration  of  his  brother,  224  ; 
etc. ;  Columbus  approves  it,  238  ; 
Roldan's  rebellion,  238  ;  measures 
of  Columbus,  238  ;  disaffection  of 
his  men,  239  ;  writes  to  the  sover 
eigns,  241  ;  negotiations  with  the 
rebels,  242,  243  ;  obliged  to  agree 
to  their  terms,  243,  245  ;  tour  to 
the  fortresses,  244  ;  letter  from 
Fonseca,  244  ;  further  difficulties, 
245  ;  sends  for  his  son  Diego,  247  ; 
Ojeda's  arrival  from  Spain  on  an 
expedition  of  his  own,  250 ;  Roldan  I 
sent  to  call  him  to  account,  251  ;  ! 
further  difficulties,  252,  etc.;  pun-' 
ishment  of  the  rebels,  254,  255  ;  Co-  I 
lumbus  considers  the  suppression 
of  this  faction  owing  to  a  special  ! 
interposition  of  Heaven,  255  ;  sup-  ! 


poses  he  sees  a  vision,  255  ;  his 
former  vow,  255  ;  intrigues  against 
him  at  court,  256 ;  their  success, 
258  ;  Bobadilla  sent  out  to  super 
sede  him,  259  ;  his  arrival  at  His 
paniola,  260  ;  his  treatment  of 
Columbus,  260,  etc. ;  he  arrests  Co 
lumbus  and  puts  him  in  irons,  264 ; 
and  sends  him  to  Spain,  266  ;  ar 
rival  at  Cadiz,  268  ;  indignation  of 
people  at  his  treatment,  269  ;  writes 
to  the  nurse  of  Prince  Juan,  269  ; 
indignation  of  Isabella,  269;  sover 
eigns  send  orders  to  have  him  re 
leased,  and  treated  with  distinction, 
also  send  him  money,  and  a  letter 
expressing  their  grief,  269  ;  Colum 
bus  appears  at  court,  and  is  kindly 
received,  269  ;  promised  indemnifi 
cation,  270 ;  Ferdinand's  selfish 
policy,  270  ;  delays,  272  ;  Ovando 
sent  to  supersede  Bobadilla,  272  ; 
Columbus  allowed  to  send  an  agent 
to  attend  to  his  affairs,  274  ;  ap 
points  Carvajal,  274  ;  remains  at 
Granada,  275  ;  prepares  a  book, 
276  ;  writes  to  the  Pope,  278  ;  sails 
on  his  fourth  voyage,  279  ;  his  ad 
vanced  age,  279 ;  accompanied  by 
his  brother  Bartholomew  and  son 
Fernando,  279  ;  touches  at  St.  Do 
mingo,  280  ;  not  permitted  to  land, 
280  ;  tempest,  in  which  many  of 
his  enemies 'perish,  282;  only  ves 
sel  saved  that  containing  property 
of  Columbus,  282 ;  Columbus 
weathers  the  storm,  and  arrives  on 
the  coast  of  Cuba,  284  ;  visit  from 
a  cacique  and  family,  284  ;  their 
advice,  284  ;  unfortunately  not  fol 
lowed  by  Columbus,  284  ;  tempests, 

285  ;  illness  of  Columbus,  285  ;  ar 
rives  at  Cape  Dios,  285  ;  interviews 
with  natives,  and  their  fright  at  the 
writing  of  the  Spaniards,  286  ;  ar 
rives  at  Costa  Rica  and  finds  go'd, 

286  ;  reports  of  the  natives  mislead 
Columbus,  288 ;    discovers    Puerto 
Bello,  288  ;  returns  to  Veragua,  289  ; 
tempest,     290 ;    waterspout,    290 ; 
arrives  at  River  Belen,  291  ;  inter 
course  with  natives,  291  ;  apparent 
abundance  of   gold,  293  ;  founds  a 


402 


INDEX. 


settlement,  294 ;  difficulties  with 
the  natives,  294  ;  captures  the  ca 
cique,  297  ;  who  afterwards  es 
capes,  297  ;  disasters,  298  ;  illness 
and  delirium  of  Columbus,  303 ; 
sails  to  Jamaica,  303  ;  forlorn  con 
dition,  307  ;  persuades  Mendez  to 
go  to  Hispaniola  in  a  canoe,  309  ; 
mutiny  of  Porras,  311  ;  famine 
threatened,  314;  Columbus  pre 
dicts  an  eclipse,  which  alarms  the 
natives,  and  induces  them  to  fur 
nish  him  with  provisions,  315  ;  letter 
from  Ovando,  318  ;  trouble  with 
the  rebels,  319 ;  captures  Porras, 
321  ;  vessels  from  St.  Domingo, 
326  ;  Columbus  embarks  for  that 
city,  326  ;  his  reception,  327  ;  his 
return  to  Spain,  335  ;  fruitless  ap 
peals  to  the  court,  337  ;  death  of  Is 
abella,  338  ;  feelings  of  Columbus, 
340 ;  his  illness  and  death,  346,  348  ; 
his  character,  348  ;  obsequies  of, 
376,  etc. 

Columbus,  Bartholomew,  brother  of 
Christopher,  2  ;  sent  by  him  on  a 
mission  to  England,  24  ;  meets  him 
in  Hayti,  178  ;  notice  of  his  visit  to 
England,  etc.,  178  ;  captured  by  a 
corsair,  178  ;  character  of,  179  ;  ap 
pointed  adelantado  by  his  brother, 
180,  185,  207  ;  appointment  con 
firmed  by  the  sovereigns,  213  ;  ad 
ministration  of,  224  ;  put  in  irons 
by  Bobadilla,  and  sent  to  Spain, 
264  ;  immediately  released  by  order 
of  the  sovereigns,  267  ;  sails  with 
Columbus  on  his  fourth  voyage, 
279. 

— ,  Diego,  brother  of  Christo 
pher,  2  ;  Indian  named  after  him, 
133  ;  left  in  command  at  Isabella, 
148  ;  president  of  junta  at  Hayti, 
164  ;  reprehends  Margarite,  180  ; 
not  a  military  character,  185  ;  sent 
to  Spain,  191  ;  returns,  200  ;  put 
in  irons  by  liobadilla,  263  ;  released, 
267. 

— .  Diego,  son  of  Christopher, 
birth  of,  ii  ;  taken  with  his  father 
from  Portugal,  24  ;  lawsuit  be 
tween  him  and  the  crown,  25  ;  his 
entrance  into  1'ulos  with  his  father, 


25  ;  left  in  charge  of  Friar  Juan 
Perez,  27  ;  appointed  page  to 
Prince  Juan,  51  ;  notice  of,  127  ; 
Columbus  sends  for  him  to  come 
to  Hispaniola,  247. 

Columbus,  Fernando,  younger  son  of 
Christopher,  2  ;  his  account  of  his 
father's  adventures,  5,6;  mother 
never  married  to  Columbus,  31  ; 
becomes  his  father's  historian,  31  ; 
notice  of,  127  ;  accompanies  his 
father  on  his  fourth  voyage,  279, 
282. 

I  Conception,  Santa  Maria  de  la,  name 
given  to  an  island  by  Columbus, 
77  ;  to  a  harbor  in  Hayti,  85  ;  Fort, 
187,  227,  232,  233,  235,  238. 

Cony,  animals  like,  91. 
I  Conjectural  map,  by  which  Columbus 
governed  himself  in  his  first  voy 
age,  16,  56. 

Conspiracies,  64,  67,  147,  162,  227. 

Contradictions,  Coast  of,  291. 

Contrast  between  embarkation  of 
Columbus  on  his  first  and  second 
voyages,  126. 

!  Contrastes,  L?  Costa  de  los,  291. 
I  Conversion  of  the  heathen,  122. 

Cordova,  Spanish  court  at,  27,  29  ; 
Columbus  remains  there  a  year,  31. 

Coronal,  Pedro  Fernandez,  164,  214, 

233- 

I  Correo,  Pedro,  brother-in-law  of  Co 
lumbus,    II  ;    his    information   to 
Columbus,  17. 
|  Cortes,  Bay  of,  173. 
I  Costa  de  los  Contrastes,  La,  291. 
Costa  Rica,  286. 
Cotabanama,  cacique  of  Higuey,  184, 

331- 
Council  at  Salamanca,  deliberations 

of,  33- 

Criminals  proposed  to  be  sent  to  His 
paniola,  214. 

Cruise  among  the  Bahama  Islands, 
77  ;  along  the  coast  of  Cuba,  78, 
165  ;  Hispaniola,  83,  99  ;  among 
the  Antilles,  128  ;  Jamaica,  165. 

Crusade  for  rescue  of  Holy  Sepulchre, 
Columbus  devotes  his  profits  to, 
39,  50  ;  leading  object  of  his  am 
bition,  50,  276  ;  his  vow  to  furnish 
money  and  army,  117,  276,  346. 


INDEX. 


403 


Crusades,  120. 

Cruz,  Cape,  168,  175,  306. 

Cuba,  island  of,  discovered  by  Co 
lumbus,  78  ;  description  of,  78  ; 
cape  so  named  by  Columbus,  82  ; 
supposed  to  be  the  end  of  the  Asi 
atic  continent,  119,  173,  353;  no 
tices  of,  165,  306,  306. 

Cubanacan,  province  in  interior  of 
Cuba,  80. 

Cubaga,  island,  223. 

Cublai  Khan,  80. 

Customs  of  the  natives,  151. 


D. 


Darien,  Isthmus  of,  Columbus  sup 
poses  a  strait  in  vicinity  of,  277. 

,  Gulf  of,  306. 

Dead  bodies  cast  upon  island  of 
Flores,  17. 

Death  of  Columbus's  wife,  23  ;  of 
Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  112. 

Deluge,  notions  of  the  aborigines  re 
specting,  157. 

Demarkation,  ideal  line  of,  between 
possessions  of  Spain  and  Portugal, 
in  New  World,  121. 

Deposition  of  officers  and  crew  that 
Cuba  was  a  continent,  172. 

Description  of  Columbus,  9,  18,  37  ; 
of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  28  ; 
of  natives  of  New  World,  74. 

Desertion  of  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon, 
82. 

Despotic  sway  of  the  Crown,  122. 

Destitution  of  Spaniards,  197. 

Deza,  Diego  de,  afterwards  Arch 
bishop  of  Seville,  seconds  the 
views  of  Columbus,  38  ;  assists 
him,  39  ;  letter  of  Columbus  to, 

345- 
Diaz,  Bartholomew,  178. 

,  Miguel,  204,  205,  224,  261. 

Difficulties  with    natives,    100,    130, 

183. 
Dios,  Cape  Gracias  a,  285. 

— ,  Cape  Nombre  de,  288. 
Disasters,    56,    58,   64,    82,  90,    100, 

104,  106. 

Discontents,  64,  66,  67,  147,  162. 
Discovery,  progress  of,  under  Prince 


Henry  of    Portugal,  7  ;    events  in 

Portugal  relative  to,  20  ;  of  land  by 

Columbus,  68  ;   of   Cuba,    79 ;   of 

Hayti,  83. 
Dispute  between  Spain  and  Portugal. 

about  the  New  World,  105,   108, 

109,  121,  123. 

Domingo  Rubio,  river,  368. 
St.,     island,   see   Hispaniola    or 

Hayti.     City  of,  224. 
Dominica,  discovered  by  Columbus, 

127. 
Dragon,  Mouth  of,  223,  251. 


E. 


Early  life  of  Columbus,  2. 
Eclipse  foretold  by  Columbus,  316. 
Edresi,  an   Arabian  geographer,  de 
scribed  the  Atlantic,  iv. 
Education  of  Columbus,  2. 
Egg,  anecdote  respecting,  119. 
Egypt,  Soldan  of,  his  menace  to  kill 

all    the    Christians   in  his  domin 
ions,  39  ;    Columbus's  feelings  on 

the  subject,  39,  50. 
Egyptian  legend  respecting   island  of 

Atlantis,  iii,  II. 
El  Retrete,  288,  289. 
Elysium,  or  Indian  paradise,  226. 
El   Zagal.  King    of  Granada,    yields 

his  crown    and   possessions  to  the 

Spanish  sovereigns,  39. 
Encounters  with    Indians,    100,  130, 

183,  192,  207,  227,  236,  297,  299, 

300. 
England,  proposition   of    Columbus 

to,  24,  178. 
Enriquez,  Dona  Beatrix,  mother    of 

Columbus's  second  son,  Fernando, 

3i,  348. 
Entailed    estate,  Columbus    allowed 

to    establish   one    in    his    family, 

213. 
Enthusiasm  of  Columbus,  its  effect, 

18,  50. 
Errors,  two  happy  ones,  which  aided 

the  success  of  Columbus,  17. 
Escobar,    Diego    de,    232,    252,   318, 

319,  326,  326. 
Escobedo,  Rodrigo  de,  left  third   in 

command  at  La  Navidad,  97,  137. 


404 


INDEX. 


Espanola,  or  Hispaniola,  name  given 
by  Columbus  to  Hayti,  85. 

Esperenza,  La,  '246. 

Existence  of  undiscovered  lands  in 
the  West,  grounds  of  the  belief  in, 
by  Columbus,  12. 


F. 


Fable  of  island  of  Atlantis,  iii,  u. 

Eelipa,  Dona,  wife  of  Columbus,  10  ; 
death  of,  23. 

Eemale  cacique,  married  to  Miguel 
Diaz,  204,  224. 

Ferdinand,  King  of  Arragon,  de 
scription  of,  28  ;  appreciates  the 
character  of  Columbus,  32  ;  assem 
bles  a  council  to  examine  his  plans, 
33,  40  ;  his  letter  to  the  Pope,  120  ; 
his  craftiness,  123,  212  ;  unfriendly 
to  Columbus,  258,  270. 

Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  their  union, 
28  ;  their  agreement  with  Colum 
bus,  48  ;  patronage  of  his  plan, 

49- 

Fernandez,  Garcia,  physician  of  Palos, 
his  deposition,  25  ;  his  conversa 
tion  with  Columbus,  26  ;  goes  in 
the  expedition  as  steward,  55  ;  men 
tion  of,  367. 

Fernandina,  name  given  to  an  island 
by  Columbus,  77. 

Ferro,  island  of,  57.  127. 

Fiesco,  Bartholomew,  310,  311,  312, 
318,  323,  325  ;  with  Columbus 
when  he  died,  348. 

First  landing  in  the  New  World,  71. 

First  voyage  of  Columbus,  55,  56. 

Fleches,  El  Golfo  <le  las,  or  Gulf  of 
Arrows,  100,  133. 

Flores,  island  of,  dead  men  of  un 
known  race  and  features  cast  upon, 
17- 

Fonseca,  Juan  Rodriguez  de,  arch 
deacon  of  Seville.  121  ;  patriarch 
of  the  New  World,  12 1  ;  has  the 
superintendence  of  Columbus's  sec 
ond  voyage, 121,  123,  126;  thwarts 
his  exertions,  212,  214,  244,  251, 
252,  257,  278,  312. 

Fort  built  at  La  Navidad,  Hayti,  97. 

Fourth  voyage,  278,  279. 


Galera,  Punta  de,  island,  2IQ. 

Gama,  Vasco  de,  277. 

Ganges,  Columbus  supposes  himself 
to  be  near  it,  288,  293. 

Genoa,  birthplace  of  Columbus,  I  ; 
propositions  of  Columbus  to,  22, 
24  ;  embarrassed  by  ruinous  wars, 
etc.,  24;  Bank  of  St.  George  at, 
278,  346. 

Geographical  theories  of  the  ancients, 
ii,  12,  13. 

Geraldini,  Alexander,  preceptor  to  the 
younger  children  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella,  countenances  Columbus, 
32. 

,    Antonio,    the    Pope's    nuncio, 

countenances  Columbus,  32. 

Gloria  in  excelsis,  chanted,  66. 

Gloria,  Port  San,  306. 

Gold,  Columbus  in  search  of,  76,  77, 
81,   87,  92,  99,    133,  137,  142,  144, 
145,   151,   165,  166,  194,  205,  210, 
289,  328. 
— ,  adulterated,  or  guanin,  216. 

,  large  mass  of,  procured  by  Bo- 

badilla,  280. 

Golden  Flower  of  Hayti,  a  name  of 
Anacaona,  226,  333. 

Golden  House,  Caonabo,  lord  of,  137, 
208. 

Gold  mines,  see  Cibao,  Hayna,  and 
Veragua. 

Gracias  a  Dios,  Cape,  285. 

Granada,  coalition  of  rival  kings  of, 
against  Spain,  30,  39  ;  final  cam 
paign  against,  40  ;  surrender  of, 
44  ;  court  at,  257,  276. 

Grand  Khan,  see  Great  Khan. 

-  River,  182,  185. 
—  Soldan  of  Egypt,  his  menace  to 
Spanish  sovereigns,  39. 

Great  Khan,  territories  of,  described 
by  Marco  Polo,  14,  49  ;  letters  to, 
by  sovereigns  of  Spain,  50  ;  Co 
lumbus  supposes  he  has  discovered 
his  country,  80,  165,  210,  288,  306. 

Green  River,  150. 

Guacanagari,  cacique  of  Marion,  sends 
to  Columbus  and  invites  him  to  visit 
his  village,  89  ;  his  sorrow  for  Co 
lumbus's  shipwreck,  90  ;  bis  recep- 


INDEX. 


40? 


tion  of  Columbus,  90 ;  assists  in 
building  a  fort,  96  :  sends  to  Co 
lumbus  on  his  return,  134  ;  resists 
Caonabo,  138  ;  Columbus  visits  him, 
139  ;  visits  Columbus,  140  ;  disap 
pears,  141  ;  continues  friendly  to 
the  Spaniards.  184.  185  ;  treat 
ment  of,  by  the  other  caciques,  184  ; 
gives  information  of  a  contemplated 
attack,  by  allied  caciques,  on  Isa 
bella,  191,  192  ;  his  death,  197  ;  his 
character,  198. 

Guadaloupe,  128,  130,  207,  208. 

Guadalquiver,  valley  of,  356. 

Guanaga,  island,  284. 

Guanahani,  native  name  of  the  island 
on  which  Columbus  first  landed, 

75- 

Guanin,  or  adulterated  gold,  javelins 
made  of,  216. 

Guarionex,  cacique,  184,  185,  227, 
228,  235,  238,  282. 

Guatiguana,  cacique,  182,  185. 

Guevera,  Hernando  de,  253,  254,  260, 
266. 

Gulf  of  Paria,  219,  222,  251. 

of  Venezuela,  251. 

Gutierrez,  Pedro,  gentleman  of  the 
king's  bedchamber,  called  by  Co 
lumbus  to  see  the  light  first  discov 
ered,  68  ;  left  second  in  command 
at  La  Navidad,  97,  137. 


H. 

Hawk's  bells,  151,  194. 

Hayna.  river,  and  gold  mines  of,  205, 
210,  224. 

Hayti,  or  Hispaniola,  discovered  by 
Columbus,  83  ;  description  of,  83, 
131  ;  natives  of,  151,  etc.;  Colum 
bus  thinks  it  the  ancient  Ophir, 
205  ;  difficulties  at,  224. 

Heat,  excessive,  experienced,  220. 

Heathen,  conversion  of,  122. 

Heaven,  Turey,  Indian  name  for,  92. 

Henry,  Prince  of  Portugal,  progress 
of  discovery  under,  7  ;  his  charac 
ter,  8  ;  his  idea  of  circumnavigat 
ing  Africa,  8  ;  calls  in  the  aid  of 
science  to  dispel  the  errors  of  his 
countrymen,  8  ;  establishes  a  naval 


college/8  ;  obtains  a  papal  bull,  in' 
vesting  the  crown  of  Portugal  with 
sovereign  authority  over  lands  it 
might  discover.  9  ;  dies  before  he 
accomplishes  his  purpose,  9  ;  his 
character,  9  ;  his  motto,  9. 

Henry  VII.,  of  England,  extolled  for 
his  wisdom  and  munificence,  25  ; 
propositions  of  Columbus  to,  24, 
178. 

Hercules,  Pillars  of,  172. 

Hermoso,  Port,  282. 

Hidalgos,  124  ;  pass  of,  149. 

Higuenamota.  253,  332. 

Higuey,  province  of,  184.  245,  331. 

Hispaniola,  or  Hayti,  discovered  by 
Columbus,  83  ;  description  of  it,  83, 
131;  natives  of,  151,  etc.;  Colum 
bus  thinks  it  the  ancient  Ophir,  205  ; 
difficulties  at,  224. 

Holy  Land,  crusade  for,  plan  of  Co 
lumbus,  39,  50,  117,  276,  346. 

Holy  Sepulchre,  see  Jerusalem. 

Honduras,  Cape,  285, 

Horses,  wonder  of  aborigines  at  see 
ing,  139,  150 ;  they  think  the 
horse  and  rider  to  be  one  animal, 
150. 

Huelva,  town  of,  363. 


Ideal   line   of    demarkation   between 

possessions  of  Spain  and  Portugal 

in  New  World,  121. 
Ideas  concerning  islands  in  the  ocean, 

II. 
India,  Columbus  proposes  to  seek  it 

by  a  western  route,   14  ;  thinks  he 

has  found  it,  119,  172. 
India  house,  Royal,  122. 
Indian,  speech  of,  173. 
Ocean,  285,  288. 


Indians,  the  name  applied  by  Colum 
bus  to  the  natives  of  the  New  World, 
and  since  extended  to  all  the  abo 
rigines,  75  ;  encounters  with,  100, 
130;  extirpation  of,  333. 

Indies,  New  World  so  named,  119; 
Fonseca  patriarch  of,  121. 

Indignation  of  Columbus  at  his  treat 
ment  by  King  John  of  Portugal,  23  ; 


406 


INDEX. 


of  Isabella  and  people  of  Spain  at 
treatment  of    Columbus    by   Hoba- 
dilla.  2Co. 
Inhabitants  of  New  World  first  seen, 

71- 

Introduction,  iii. 

Irons,  Columbus  put  in,  263  ;  he  pre 
serves  them,  269. 

Isabella,  Queen  of  Castile,  descrip 
tion  of,  28  ;  character  of,  29;  inter 
ests  herself  in  the  enterprise  of  Co 
lumbus,  43  ;  offers  to  pledge  her 
jewels  for  the  funds  necessary  for 
the  enterprise,  47  ;  her  confidence 
in  Columbus,  212;  begins  to  waver, 
258  ;  her  indignation  at  report  of 
Roldan,  259 ;  her  indignation  at 
Bobadilla's  treatment  of  Columbus, 

268  ;  her  reception  of  him  at  court, 

269  ;  death  of,  339. 

,   her  name  given   to  an  island, 

by  Columbus,  77  ;  City  of,  founded 
by  Columbus,  142  ;  Diego  Colum 
bus  left  in  command  at,  148  ;  sick 
ness  and  discontents  at,  162  ;  diffi 
culties  with  the  natives,  183,  189. 
— ,  Princess,  daughter  of  Queen 
Isabella,  death  of,  338. 

Island  of  Atlantis,  legend  respecting, 
iii,  ir. 

Islands,  discovery  of,  San  Salvador, 
72  ;  Cuba,  78  ;  Hayti,  83  ;  Domi 
nica,  127  ;  Guadaloupe,  128  ;  Santa 
Cruz,  130  ;  Eleven  Thousand  Vir 
gins,  131  ;  Porto  Rico,  131  ;  Ja 
maica,  165  ;  the  Queen's  Garden, 
168  ;  Trinidad,  219: 

in  the  ocean,  ideas    respecting, 

II  ;  visited  by  Columbus,  72,  76. 


J 


Jacquemel,  250. 

Jamaica,  discovery  of,  165  ;  notice  of, 
175,  306. 

Jerusalem,  Holy  Sepulchre  at,  39; 
Columbus  devotes  the  profits  of  his 
discoveries  to  a  crusade  to  recover 
it.  39.  5°  I  leading  object  of  his 
ambition  through  life.  50  ;  his  vow 
to  furnish  a  crusade,  117,  276, 
346. 


Jew,  sent  as  interpreter  to  Indians. 
80  ;  not  understood  by  them,  81. 

John  II.,  King  of  Portugal,  ascends 
the  throne,  20  ;  sends  missionaries 
in  quest  of  Prester  John,  21  •  calls 
upon  his  men  of  science  to  aid  nav 
igation,  21  ;  Columbus  obtains  au 
dience  of,  22;  the  king  refeis  the 
subject  to  a  junto,  22  ;  and  then  to 
a  council,  who  reject  the  scheme. 
23  ;  the  king  then  assents  to  a  proj 
ect  to  defraud  Columbus.  23  ;  his 
reception  of  Columbus  on  his  return 
from  his  first  voyage,  106  ;  rejects 
proposals  for  assassination  of  Co 
lumbus,  109  ;  adopts  plan  lo  take 
possession  of  the  New  World,  109, 
123. 

Joppa,  Columbus  thinks  his  discovery 
has  led  him  near,  172. 

Joy  at  Columbus's  discovery,  107, 
no,  113  ;  not  confined  to  Spain, 
119. 

Juan,  Prince,  son  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella,  51  ;  island  of  Cuba  named 
in  honor  of  him,  78  ;  his  reception 
of  Columbus,  114,  117;  death  of, 
338. 

Juana,  name  given  to  Cuba  by  Colum 
bus,  78. 

,   daughter    of    Queen    Isabella, 


338,  345- 

Junta,  formed  by  Columbus  for  gov 
ernment  of  Hayti,  164. 
—  de  Descargos,  claims  of  Colum 
bus  referred  to,  344. 

Junto,    propositions  of  Columbus  to 
King  John,  referred  to,  22. 


K. 


Khan,    Grand    or    Great,    see   Great 
Khan. 


La  Boca  del  Drago,    223,  251. 
La  Costa  de  los  Contrastes,  291. 
Lactantius,    cited   by   the   council    at 

Salamanca,    against    the    views  of 

Columbus,  35. 
La  Esperanza,  246. 


INDEX. 


407 


La  Navidad,  fortress  at,  97,  133,  138, 
182,  189. 

Land,  signs  of,  61,  62  ;  supposed  to 
be  discovered,  66 ;  certain  mani 
festations  of,  67  ;  discovered  by 
Columbus,  70 ;  and  by  Bermejo, 
70. 

Landing  in  the  New  World,  first,  71. 

La  Rabida,  see  Rabida. 

Lares,  Ovando  commander  of,  272. 

Las  Casas,  his  opinion  of  the  judg 
ments  on  enemies  of  Columbus, 
282  ;  on  the  search  for  gold,  329, 
330. 

Leagon,  Bight  of,  226. 

Ledesma,  Pedro,  302. 

Legend,  respecting  island  of  Atlan 
tis,  iii,  II. 

Leone,  Antonio,  his  information  to 
Columbus,  16. 

Lepe,  see  Rodriguez. 

,  Diego,  of  Palos,  271. 

Light  discovered  by  Columbus,  68. 

Line  of  demarkation,  ideal,  between 
possessions  of  Spain  and  Portugal, 
in  New  World,  121. 

Lisbon,  residence  of  Columbus  in, 
9  ;  he  leaves  it,  24. 

Loredo,  Columbus  sends  his  brother 
to,  to  meet  King  Philip  and  Queen 
Juana,  345. 

Lucar  (San)  de  Barrameda,  216,  335. 

Lucayos,  or  Bahama  Islands,  75. 

Luxan,  Juan  de,  151,  164. 


M. 

Magdalena,  fortress,  182,  185,  232. 
Magnetic   needle,    variation    of,  first 

discovered  by  Columbus,  60. 
Maguana,  province  of,  184. 
Malaga,  Columbus    at   surrender  of, 

39-. 

Mangi,  province  of,  16,  49,  80,  165, 
169,  306. 

Mangon,    169,  171. 

Manicaotex,  cacique,  191,  194. 

Mantinino.  or  Martinique,  island  of, 
101,  279. 

Map,  conjectural,  by  which  Columbus 
governed  himself  in  his  first  voy 
age,  15. 


Maps  and  charts,  Columbus  employed 
in  making,  n,  31. 

Marchena,  Friar  Juan  Perez  de,  see 
Perez. 

Marco  Polo,  his  narrative,  14,  16 ; 
the  key  to  many  of  the  ideas  of 
Columbus,  16 

Margarita,  island,  223,  251. 

Margarite,  Pedro,  152,  161,  164,  180, 
181,  182,  191,  198,  199,  210. 

Marion,  province  of,  184. 

Marque,  Diego,  128. 

Marriage  of  Columbus,  10. 

Martin,  Andreas,  267. 

Martinique,  279. 

Martyr,  Peter,  quotation  from,  94. 

Mayonabex,  cacique  of  Ciguay,  ioi, 
236. 

Mayorazgo,  or  entailed  estate,  Colum 
bus  allowed  to  establish,  213. 

Maysi,  Cape,  165. 

Medical  skill  of  aborigines,  154. 

Medina  Celi,  Duke  of,  favorable  to 
Columbus,  and  intends  to  aid  him, 
but  changes  his  mind,  fearing  to 
awaken  the  jealousy  of  the  crown, 
and  writes  a  letter  to  the  queen  in 
favor  of  the  plan,  41. 

Medina  del  Campo,  where  Queen  Is 
abella  died,  339. 

Medina  Sidonia,  Duke  of,  for  a  time 
entertains  the  plan  of  aiding  Co 
lumbus,  but  afterwards  declines, 
41. 

Mendez,  Diego  de,  294,  296,  305, 
307,  308,  309,  310,  3H,  312,  315, 
318,  323,  325,  326,  337- 

Mendoza,  Pedro  Gonzalez  de,  arch 
bishop  of  Toledo,  and  Grand  Cardi 
nal  of  Spain,  facetiously  called  the 
third  king  of  Spain,  32  ;  counte 
nances  Columbus,  32  ;  and  procures 
for  him  a  royal  audience,  32. 

Mexico,  284,  288. 

Miguel,  Prince,  death  of,  338. 

Misa,  Rio  de  la,  175. 

Moguer,  near  Palos,  25,  50  ;  chapel 
of  Santa  Clara  at,  Columbus  vows 
to  watch  and  pray  all  night  in  it, 
102  ;  author's  visit  to,  356. 

Monte  Christi,  133,  142. 

Moon,  supposed  to  have  issued  from 
a  cavern  near  Cape  Frai^ois,  156. 


408 


fNDEX. 


Moorish  war,  Spanish  sovereigns  en 
gaged  in,  30,  39,  44,  124. 

Morales,  the  royal  treasurer,  311,  337. 

Moslems  of  Granada,  Spanish  war 
against,  39. 

Mosquito  Shore,  286. 

Motto  on  coat-of-arms  of  Columbus, 
119. 

Mouth  of  the  Dragon,  223. 

Moxica,  Adrian  de,  232,  253,  254  ; 
executed,  255. 

Mutiny  threatened,  64 ;  open  rup 
tures,  67.  146,  162. 


N. 


Naples,  struggle  of  John  of  Anjou, 
for  crown  of,  4. 

Natives  of  New  World,  astonishment 
of,  72 ;  description  of,  74 ;  cus 
toms  and  characteristics  of,  151, 
154,  166  ;  difficulties  with,  100, 
130,  182,  191,  207,  227,  236,  298, 
299,  300  ;  their  subjection,  196  ; 
conspiracies  of,  183,  227  ;  extir 
pation  of,  333. 

Naval  College,  established  by  Prince 
Henry  of  Portugal,  8. 

Navasa,  island,  324. 

Navidad,  La,  fortress  at,  97,  133, 
138,  182,  189. 

Navigation  in  its  infancy  when  Co 
lumbus  began  his  career,  8. 

Needle,  magnetic,  variation  of  dis 
covered  by  Columbus,  60. 

Negro  slavery  in  New  World,  first 
traces  of,  275. 

New  Spain,  284. 

New  World,  Scandinavian  voyagers 
had  but  faint  glimpses  of,  iv ; 
Queen  Isabella  the  patroness  of 
the  discovery  of,  47  ;  discovered, 

70  ;   first  landing  of  Columbus  in, 

71  ;  name  given  to,  119  ;  Nicholas, 
St.,  name    given   by    Columbus  to 
a  harbor  in  Hayti,  85. 

Nina,  one  of  the  vessels  of   Colum 
bus,  55,  164,  202,  205. 
Nombre  de  Dios,  Cape,  288. 
Non,  Cape,  108. 

Northmen  visited  America,  iii,   v. 
Note  to  this  edition,  v. 


o. 


Object  of  this  work,  iv. 

Obsequies  of  Columbus,  376. 

Ocean,  supposed  islands  in,  1 1. 

Odiel,  a  river  near  Palos,  55,  362. 

Odorigo,  Doctor  Nicolo,  278. 

Ojeda,  Alonzo  de,  125,  130,  145,  163, 
180,  182,  183,  187,  188  ;  his  capt 
ure  of  Caonabo,  189  ;  his  prowess, 
150,  250  ;  his  expedition,  250,  251. 

Omega,  Alpha  and,  name  given  by 
Columbus  to  eastern  end  of  Cuba, 

83- 

Ophir,  205,  210,  353. 

Orinoco,  discovery  of,  219. 

Ornofay,  169. 

Outrage  on  Columbus  and  his  crew, 
at  St.  Mary's  Island,  105. 

Ovando,  Nicolas  de,  272,  274,  275. 
280,  309,  318,  319,  325,  327,  328, 
330,  33i,  335,  337- 

Oviedo,  remarks  of,  respecting  Co 
lumbus,  31. 

Ozema,  204,  224. 


P. 


Palms,  Cape  of,  name  given  by  Co 
lumbus  to  a  headland  in  Cuba,  79- 

Palos,  arrival  of  Columbus  at,  25  ; 
conversations  with  sundry  residents 
of  the  place,  26  ;  port  of  his  em 
barkation,  50  ;  town  obliged  to 
furnish  the  crown  with  two  armed 
caravels  one  year.  50  ;  return  to, 
no  ;  author's  visit  to,  355. 

Papal  bull,  investing  crown  of  Por 
tugal  with  sovereign  authority 
over  all  lands  it  might  discover, 
9  ;  dividing  the  New  World  be 
tween  Spain  and  Portugal,  121. 

Paradise,  Indian,  226. 

Parentage  of  Columbus,  I. 

Paria,  128,  251  ;  gulf  of,  219,  222  ; 
promontory,  219,  251. 

Pass  of  the  Hidalgos,  149. 

Pavia,  University  of,  Columbus  at,  2. 

Perez,  Alonzo,  discovers  Trinidad, 
219. 

,  Friar  Juan  de  Marchena,  his 

conversation  with  Columbus,  25  ; 


INDEX. 


409 


lays  his  plans  before  his  friends, 
26  ;  gives  Columbus  a  letter  to  the 
queen's  confessor,  26  ;  takes  charge 
of  Columbus's  son,  27  ;  again  ex 
erts  himself,  has  an  audience  of 
the  queen,  and  is  successful,  42  ; 
mention  of,  367. 

Philip,  husband  of  Juana,  the  daugh 
ter  of  Isabella,  338,  345. 

Philipina,  Bay  of,  173. 

Piety  of  Columbus,  10,  24,  350. 

Pillars  of  Hercules,  172. 

Pineapple,  first  met  with,  128. 

Pinelo,  Francisco,  treasurer  for  sec 
ond  voyage  of  Columbus,  121. 

Pinta,  caravel  which  accompanied 
Columbus  on  his  first  voyage,  54, 
56,  68,  70,  82,  96,  99,  102,  in. 

Pinzon,  Don  Juan  Fernandez,  356, 
etc. 

,  Don  Luis  Fernandez,  359,  360. 

family,  355,  etc. 

• ,  Martin    Alonzo    approves    the 

plans  of  Columbus,  offers  to  en 
gage  in  them,  26 ;  furnishes  Co 
lumbus  money  for  his  journey  to 
the  court,  27  ;  engages  personally 
in  the  expedition,  52  ;  commands 
one  of  the  caravels,  54  ;  lands  in 
New  World  with  Columbus,  72  ; 
deserts  him,  82  ;  rejoins  him,  99  ; 
carries  off  natives,  who  are  restored 
by  Columbus,  100  ;  separation  in 
tempest,  102  ;  his  arrival  at  Palos, 
in  ;  his  chagrin  and  death,  112  ; 
his  character,  112,  368. 

,  Vicente  Yanez,  engages  in  the 

expedition  of  Columbus,  52  ;  com 
mands  one  of  the  caravels,  55  ; 
lands  in  New  World  with  Colum 
bus,  72  ;  his  subsequent  discov 
eries,  271. 

Pisa,  Bernal  Diaz  de,  147,  148. 

Plato,  legend  respecting  Atlantis, 
narrated  by,  iii,  n. 

Pliny,  his  opinion  of  the  ocean,  14. 

Point  Bias,  306. 

Pope,  submission  to,  120. 

Porras,  Diego,  311,  314,  318. 
— ,  Francisco,  311,  312,  313,  318, 
319,  320,  322,  327,  337. 

Porto  Rico,  128,  131. 

Port  San  Gloria,  306. 


Portugal,  first  arrival  of  Columbus 
in,  6, 9  ;  exertions  of  Prince  Henry, 
7,  8,  9  ;  fame  of  Portuguese  discov 
eries,  9  ;  events  in,  relative  to  dis 
covery,  19,  20  ;  cause  of  discovery 
languishes  under  Alphonso,  20  ; 
propositions  of  Columbus  to  King 
John,  22,  see  John  II. 

Poverty  of  Columbus,  25,  42,  336, 
336,  365- 

Prester  John,  tales  told  of,  21  ;  mis 
sions  in  quest  of,  21,  171. 

Progress  of  discovery  under  Prince 
Henry  of  Portugal,  7. 

Pundonor,  181. 

Puerto  Bello,  280,  305. 

Punta  de  Galera  island,  219. 


Queen's  Garden,  name  given  by  Co 
lumbus  to  archipelago  in  Caribbean 
Sea,  168,  306. 

Quibian,  cacique  of  Veragua,  291, 
294,  296,  297,  298. 

Quintanilla,  Alonzo  de,  comptroller 
of  the  finances  of  Castile,  advo 
cates  the  theory  of  Columbus  and 
receives  him  into  his  house,  32 ; 
assists  him,  39  ;  appeals  to  the 
queen  in  his  behalf,  and  is  success 
ful,  46. 


R. 


Rabida,  convent  of,  Columbus's  ar 
rival  at,  25  ;  guardian  of  the  con 
vent  enters  warmly  into  his  views, 
25  ;  Columbus  returns  to,  disap 
pointed,  42  ;  author's  visit  to,  316. 

Rastello,  in  Portugal,  Columbus  an 
chors  opposite  to,  106  ;  character 
of  inhabitants  of,  106. 

Reception  of  Columbus  by  John, 
King  of  Portugal,  22,  108  ;  at  Con 
vent  of  Palos,  25,  42,  52  ;  at  Palos, 
52,  no  ;  at  Spanish  court,  31, 
44,  47,  in,  113  :  at  council  of 
Salamanca,  33  ;  by  the  natives  of 
the  New  World,  72  ;  by  Portu 
guese  governor  of  St.  Mary's 


4IO 


INDEX. 


island,  105  ;  by  inhabitants  of 
Portugal,  106. 

Red  Sea.  172. 

Reeds,  River  of,  150. 

Reguelme,  Pedro,  240,  246,  254,  255, 
260,  266. 

Religious  notions  of  the  natives,  154, 
etc. 

Repartimientos  claimed  by  Roldan, 
246. 

Residence  of  Columbus  in  Lisbon,  9. 

Retrete,  El,  or  the  Cabinet,  288,  289. 

Return  voyage  of  Columbus  (first), 
99  ;  second,  173 ;  third,  263 ; 
fourth.  336. 

Rich  coast,  286. 

Rio  del  Oro,  133. 

Rio  de  la  Misa,  175. 

Rio  Verde,  150. 

Rodriguez,  Sebastian,  a  pilot  of 
Lepe,  sent  by  the  friends  of  Co 
lumbus  at  La  Rabida,  to  the  queen, 
and  acquits  himself  successfully, 
42. 

Roldan,  Francisco,  230,  etc.,  238, 
239,  241.  243,  244,  245,  246,  250, 
266  ;  perishes  in  a  tempest,  282. 

Royal  India  house,  122. 

Plain,  150. 

Rubio,  Domingo,  river  at  Palos,  368. 

Rumors   of    undiscovered   countries, 


12. 


s. 


St.  Augustine,  cited  by  the  council 
at  Salamanca,  against  the  theory 
of  Columbus,  35. 

.  Cape,  271. 

St.  Christoval,  Fort,  224. 

St.  Domingo,  island,  see  Hayti  or 
Hispaniola,  and  Ozema ;  city  of, 
224. 

St.  George,  church  of,  at  Palos,  52, 
no;  author's  visit  to,  371  ;  Bank 
of,  at  Genoa,  278.  346. 

St.  Mary  of  the  True  Peace,  town  of, 
332. 

St.  Nicholas,  name  given  by  Colum 
bus  to  a  harbor  at  Hayti.  85. 

St.  Thomas,  name  given  by  Colum 
bus  to  what  is.  supposed  to  be  the 


Bay  of  Acul,  89  ;  to  a  fortress  in 
Cibao,  151,  152,  161,  164.  180, 
182,  183. 

Salamanca,  Columbus  before  the 
council  at,  33. 

Salcedo,  Diego  de,  326. 

Saltes,  bar  of,  island  whence  Colum 
bus  set  sail  on  his  first  voyage,  5.5, 
362. 

Salve  regina,  or  vesper  hymn,  sung, 
68,  350. 

Samana,  Gulf  of,  loo,  235. 

Sanchez,  Juan,  297,  322. 

,  Rodriguez,  of  Segovia,  called 

by  Columbus  to  witness  the  light 
he  discovered,  68. 

San  Gloria,  Port,  306. 

San  Lucar  de  Barrameda,  216,  335. 

San  Miguel,  176. 

San  Salvador,  name  given  by  Colum 
bus  to  the  island  on  which  he  first 
landed,  75  ;  also  to  a  river  in  Cuba, 
78. 

Santa  Clara,  church  of,  at  Moguer, 
Columbus  vows  to  watch  and  pray 
all  night  in,  102  ;  author's  visit  to, 
372- . 

Santa  Cruz,  130;  name  of  a  new 
caravel  built  by  Columbus,  205. 

Santa  Fe,  42. 

Santa,  La  Isla,  219. 

Santa  Maria,  name  of  Columbus's 
ship,  54. 

Santa  Maria  de  la  Verdadera  Paz, 
332- 

Santiago,  192. 

Saona,  channel  of,  172. 

Saragossa,  in  Arragon,  royal  palace 
at,  49. 

Scandinavian  voyagers  to  America, 
iii,  v  ;  knowledge  of,  lost  to  man 
kind,  iv. 

Second  voyage,  121,  126. 

Segovia,  Columbus  at,  342. 

Seneca,  his  opinion  of  the  ocean, 
14. 

Sepulchre,  Holy,  see  Jerusalem. 

Seville,  38,  40,  ill,  121,  122,  124. 

Shipwrecks,  90,  202. 

Sickness  at  settlements,  162. 

Skirmishes  with  Indians,  loo,  130, 
182,  192,  207,  227,  236,  297,  299, 
300. 


INDEX. 


Slaves,  145,  191.  200,  258,  275. 
Slavery,    negro,    first    traces    of,    in 

New  World,  275. 
Soldan  of  Egypt,  see  Egypt. 
Solomon,    King,    mines    whence    he 

procured  gold,  205. 
Soria,  Juan  de,  comptroller  for  second 

voyage    of    Columbus,     121,    124, 

125- 

Southern  Ocean,  284. 
Spain,  Columbus  arrives  in,  25. 
Strabo.  his  opinion  of  the  ocean,  14. 
Sultry  weather,  220. 
Sun,  supposed  to  have  issued  from  a 

cavern  near  Cape  Fran9ois,  156. 
Superstition  of  Columbus,  222. 


T. 


Tagus,  Columbus  arrives  at  mouth 
of,  107. 

Talavera,  confessor  to  Queen  Isa 
bella,  Juan  Perez  gives  Columbus  a 
letter  to,  26  ;  too  much  engaged  to 
attend  to  him,  30,  31  ;  directed  by 
the  king  to  summon  a  council  to 
examine  the  views  of  Columbus, 

33- 

Tales  and  rumors  about  undiscovered 
countries,  12. 

Te  Deum  laudamus,  chanted  on  ac 
count  of  success  of  Columbus,  116. 

Tempests,  79,  101,  106,  202,  280, 
285,  289,  306,  335. 

Terceira  Islands,  109. 

Terra  Firma,  nothing  known  respect 
ing  it,  till  fifteenth  century,  iii. 

Third  voyage,  214. 

Thomas,  St.,  see  St.  Thomas. 

Thule,  visited  by  Columbus,  v,  19. 

,  Ultima.  19. 

Tiburon,  Cape,  172,  226,  325. 

Tinto,  a  river  near  Palos,  55,  362, 
368. 

Tobacco,  used  by  the  natives  of  the 
New  World,  81  ;  name  of  the  roll 
transferred  to  the  weed,  81. 

Torres,  Antonio,  190,  199. 

Toscanelli,  correspondence  with  Co 
lumbus,  13  ;  chart  or  map  furnished 
by  him,  15,  56. 


Trade  winds,  influence  of,  60,  127. 
Trinidad,  discovery  of,  219. 
Tristan,  Diego,  299,  300,  302. 
Turey,  or  heaven,  92,  188,  197, 


u. 


Ultima  Thule,  19. 

Undiscovered    lands    in    the    West, 

grounds  of  the  belief  of  Columbus 

in  existence  of,  13. 
Unhealthiness  of  climate,  162. 
University  of  Salamanca,  council  at, 

33- 

Uricans,  202. 
Utia,  animal  like  cony,  91. 


V. 


Valparaiso,  near  Lisbon,   Portuguese 

court  at,  108. 

Variation    of    the    needle    first    dis 
covered  by  Columbus,  58. 
Vega  Real,  or  Royal  Plain,  150. 
Venezuela,  Gulf  of,  discovered,  251. 
Venice,  proposition  of  Columbus  to, 

24. 

Veragua,  286,  289,  291,  305,  309. 
Veraguas,  Duke  of,  378. 
Verde,  Cape  de,  9,  13,  23,  121. 
Vesper  hymn  sung,  68. 
Vespucci,  Amerigo,   sails   with'  Oje- 

da,  251  ;  employed  by  Columbus, 

342. 
Vicenti,    Martin,    his  information    to 

Columbus,  16. 

Viceroy  and  Admiral,  Columbus  de 
mands  to  be,  45  ;  is  appointed,  48. 
Villejo,  Alonzo  de,  266. 
Vinland,    visited    by    Scandinavians, 

iii,  v  ;  knowledge  of  the  fact  lost, 

iv,  vi. 
Virgins,  Eleven  Thousand,  islands  of, 

131. 
Visionary  projects  of  Columbus,  37, 

50,  117,  255. 
Vow  of  Columbus  to  furnish  money 

for  a  crusade,  117,  276. 
Voyage,   first,    difficulties   in    getting 

ready,  51,  52  ;  return,  99. 


412 


INDEX. 


Voyage,    second,    121,    126 ;    return, 

173- 

,  third,  214,  216;  return,  263. 

,  fourth,  278,  279  ;  return,  336. 


W. 

Waterspout,  290. 

Watling's  Island,  that  on  which  Co 
lumbus  first  saw  light,  75. 

Weeds,  sea  covered  with,  62. 

Weedy  sea,  described  by  Aristotle, 
61. 

West,  undiscovered  lands  in,  grounds 
of  belief  of  Columbus  in,  13. 

West  Indies,  name  first  given  to  New 
World,  119. 

Whirlwinds,  202. 

WTill  of  Columbus,  213,  346. 

Wrecks,  90,  128. 


X. 

Xaragua,  158,  184,  224,  228,  234, 
238,  325.  33L  332.  333- 

Xerif  al  Edresi,  description  of  At 
lantic,  iv. 

Ximeno  de  Breviesca,  215. 


V. 


Vagui,  river,  150. 

Yegua,  river,  188,  189. 

Ysabel,    Spanish   name   of    Isabella, 

72. 
Yucatan,  284. 


Zemes,  deities  of  the  aborigines,  154, 

188. 


Heroes  of  the  Nations 


A  SERIES  of  biographical  studies  of  the  lives  and 
work  of  a  number  of  representative  historical  char- 
acters  about  whom  have  gathered  the  great  traditions 
of  the  Nations  to  which  they  belonged,  and  who  have 
been  accepted,  in  many  instances,  as  types  of  the 
several  National  ideals.  With  the  life  of  each  typical 
character  will  be  presented  a  picture  of  the  National 
conditions  surrounding  him  during  his  career. 

The  narratives  are  the  work  of  writers  who  are 
recognized  authorities  on  their  several  subjects,  and, 
while  thoroughly  trustworthy  as  history,  will  present 
picturesque  and  dramatic  "stories"  of  the  Men  and 
ot  the  events  connected  with  them. 

To  the  Life  of  each  "Hero"  will  be  given  one  duo 
decimo  volume,  handsomely  printed  in  large  typet 
provided  with  maps  and  adequately  illustrated  ac» 
cording  to  the  special  requirements  of  the  several 
subjects. 

full  list  of  volumes  see  next  pagfi. 


HEROES  OF  THE  NATIONS 


NELSON.     By  W.  Clark  Russell 

GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS.     By  C. 
R.  L.  Fletcher. 

PERICLES.     By  Evelyn  Abbott. 

THEODORIC    THE    GOTH.      By 

Thomas  Hodgkin. 

SIR  PHILIP  SIDNEY.     By  H.  R. 

Fox-Bourne. 

JULIUS   CAESAR.     By   W.   Warde 
Fowler. 

WYCLIF.     By  Lewis  Sergeant. 

NAPOLEON.       By     W.      O'Connor 
Morris. 

HENRY    OF   NAVARRE.     By    P. 
F.  Willert. 

CICERO.        By      J.      f*      Strachan- 
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ABRAHAM  LINCOLN.     By  Noah 
Brooks. 

PRINCE     HENRY     (OF    PORTU 
GAL)  THE  NAVIGATOR. 
By  C.  R.  Beazley. 

JULIAN    THE     PHILOSOPHER. 
By  Alice  Gardner. 

LOUIS  XIV.     By  Arthur  Hassall. 

CHARLES    XII.       By    R.    Nisbet 
Bain. 

LORENZO  DE' MEDICI.     By  Ed 
ward  Armstrong. 

JEANNE    D'ARC.     By    Mrs.    Oli- 
phant, 

CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS.    By 
Washington  Irving. 

ROBERT    THE    BRUCE. 
Herbert  Maxwell. 

HANNIBAL. 

Morris. 

ULVSSES  S.  GRANT. 
Conant  Church. 

ROBERT      E.      LEE. 
Alexander  White. 

THE  CID  CAMPEADOR.     By   H 

Butler  Clarke. 


SALADIN. 
Poolc. 

BISMARCK, 
lam. 


By    Sir 
By     W.      O'Connor 
By  William 
By     Henry 


By       Stanley        Lane 
By      J.      W.      Head- 


ALEXANDER  THE  GREAT.     By 
Benjamin  I.  Wheeler. 

CHARLEMAGNE.     By    H.    W.  C 
Davis. 


OLIVER         CROMWELL. 
Charles  Firth. 


By 


RICHELIEU.      By    James   B.    Per 

kins. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL.     By   Rob 

ert  Dunlop. 

SAINT      LOUIS      (Louis     IX.     of 
France).      By  Frederick  Perry. 

LORD    CHATHAM.      By    Walford 
David  Green. 


OWEN    GLYNDWR. 
G.  Bradley. 


By    Arthur 


HENRY    V.      By  Charles  L.   King. 
ford. 

EDWARD    I.     By    Edward    Jenk* 

AUGUSTUS    CAESAR.     By   J.    B. 

Firth. 


FREDERICK   THE  GREAT. 
W.  F.  Reddaway. 


By 


WELLINGTON.     By  W.  O'Connor 

Morris. 

CONSTANTINE  THE  GREAT.  By 
J.  B.  Firth. 

MOHAMMED.     D.  S.  Margolioutb, 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON.     By  j. 
A.  Harrison. 

CHARLES  THE  BOLD.     By  Rutb 
Putnam. 

WILLIAM    THE     CONQUEROR. 

By  F.  B.  Stanton. 

FERNANDO  CORTES.     By  F.  A. 
MacNutt. 

WILLIAM  THE  SILENT.     By  R 
Putnam. 

BLUCHER.     By  E.  F.  Henderson. 

ROGER     THE     GREAT.     By    E. 

Curtis. 

CANUTE    THE   GREAT.     By    L, 
M.  Larson. 

CAVOUR.      By  Pietro  Orsi. 
DEMOSTHENES.  By  A.  W.  Pickard- 
Cambridge. 


The  Story  of  the  Nations 


IN  the  story  form  the  current  of  each  National  life 
is  distinctly  indicated,  and  its  picturesque  and  note 
worthy  periods  and  episodes  are  presented  for  the 
reader  in  their  philosophical  relation  to  each  othet 
as  well  as  to  universal  history. 

It  is  the  plan  of  the  writers  of  the  different  volume? 
to  enter  into  the  real  life  of  the  peoples,  and  to  bring 
them  before  the  reader  as  they  actually  lived,  labored, 
and  struggled — as  they  studied  and  wrote,  and  as 
they  amused  themselves.  In  carrying  out  this  plan, 
the  myths,  with  which  the  history  of  all  lands  be 
gins,  are  not  overlooked,  though  they  are  carefully 
distinguished  from  the  actual  history,  so  far  as  the 
labors  of  the  accepted  historical  authorities  have 
resulted  in  definite  conclusions. 

The  subjects  of  the  different  volumes  have  been 
planned  to  cover  connecting  and,  as  far  as  possible, 
consecutive  epochs  or  periods,  so  that  the  set  when 
completed  will  present  in  a  comprehensive  narrative 
the  chief  events  in  the  great  STORY  OF  THE  NATIONS: 
but  it  is,  of  course,  not  always  practicable  to  issue 
*he  several  volumes  in  their  chronological  order. 

For  list  of  volumes  see  next  page. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  NATIONS 


GREECE.     Prof.  Jas.  A.  Harrison. 
ROME.     Arthur  Oilman. 

THE  JEWS.     Prof.  James  K.  Hos- 

mer. 

CHALDEA.     Z.  A.  Ragozin. 
GERMANY.     S.  Baring-Gould. 
NORWAY.     Hjalmar  H.  Boyesen. 
SPAIN.     Rev.    E.    E.    and    Susan 

Hale. 

HUNGARY.     Prof.  A.  Vambery. 
CARTHAGE.       Prof.      Alfred     J. 

Church. 

THE  SARACENS.  Arthur  Gil- 
man. 

THE  MOORS  IN  SPAIN.  Stanley 
Lane-Poole. 

THE  NORMANS.  Sarah  Orne 
Jewett. 

PERSIA.     S.  G.  W.  Benjamin. 

ANCIENT  EGYPT.  Prof.  Geo. 
Rawlinson. 

ALEXANDER'S  EMPIRE.  Prof. 
J.  P.  Mahaffy. 

ASSYRIA.     Z.  A.  Ragozin. 

THE  GOTHS.     Henry  Bradley. 

IRELAND.     Hon.  Emily  Lawless. 

TURKEY      Stanley  Lane-Poole. 

MEDIA.  BABYLON,  AND  PER 
SIA.  Z.  A.  Ragozin. 

MEDIEVAL  FRANCE.  Prof.  Gus- 
tave  Masson. 

HOLLAND.  Prof.  J.  Thorold 
Rogers. 

MEXICO.     Susan  Hale. 

PHOENICIA.     George  Rawlinson. 

THE  HANSA  TOWNS.  Helen 
Zimmern. 

EARLY  BRITAIN  Prof.  Alfred 
J.  Church. 

THE       BARBARY      CORSAIRS. 

Stanley  Lane-Poole. 
RUSSIA.     W.  R.  Morfill. 
THE  JEWS  UNDER  ROME.     W. 

D.  Morrison. 

SCOTLAND.     John  Mackintosh. 
SWITZERLAND.     R.    Stead    and 

Mrs.  A.  Hug. 

PORTUGAL.     H.   Morse-Stephens. 
THE  BYZANTINE  EMPIRE      C 

W.  C.  Oman. 

SICILY       E.  A.  Freeman. 
THE       TUSCAN        REPUW.T^c 

Bella   Dully. 

uni.ANn       W    R    Morfi]. 
PARTH1A.      Geo.  Ruwhns  H, 
JAPAN.      David  Mu-ray 


THE   CHRISTIAN     RECOVERY 
OF  SPAIN.     H.    E.   Watts. 

AUSTRALASIA.     GreviUe  Tregar- 
then. 

SOUTHERN    AFRICA.    Geo.    II 

Theal. 

VENICE.     Alethea  Wiel. 

THE  CRUSADES.     T.  S.  Archet 

and  C.  L.  Kingsford. 
VEDIC  INDIA.     Z.  A.  Ragozin. 
BOHEMIA.     C.  E.  Maurice. 
CANADA.     J.  G.  Bourinot. 
THE  BALKAN  STATES.   William 

Miller. 
BRITISH  RULE  IN  INDIA.     R. 

W.  Frazer. 

MODERN    FRANCE.     Andn§    Lc 
Bon. 

THE  BRITISH  EMPIRE.     Alfred 

T.  Story.     Two  vols. 
THE  FRANKS.     Lewis  Sergeant. 
THE   WEST   INDIES.     Amos   K 

Fiske. 
THE    PEOPLE    OF    ENGLAND 

Justin    McCarthy,   M.P.      Tw» 

vols. 

AUSTRIA.  Sidney  Whitman. 
CHINA.  Robt.  K.  Douglass. 
MODERN  SPAIN.  Major  Martin 

A.  S.  Hume. 

MODERN  ITALY.     Pietro  Orsi. 
THE     THIRTEEN     COLONIES. 

Helen  A.  Smith.     Two  vols. 
WALES  AND  CORNWALL.  Owne 

M .    Edwards. 

MEDL-EVAL  ROME.     Wm.  Miller 
THE  PAPAL  MONARCHY      Wm 

Barry. 

MEDIEVAL       INDIA.      Stanley 

Lane-Poole. 
BUDDHIST  INDIA.    T.  W.  Rhys 

Davids. 
THE    SOU^H    AMERICAN    RE. 

PUBLICS.     Thomas  C.   Daw. 

son.     T"'o  vols. 
PARLIAMENTARY     ENGLAND. 

Edward  Jenks. 

MEDIAEVAL  ENGLAND.       Mary 

Bateson. 
THE  UMTED  STATES.   Edward 

Earle  Sparks.     Two  vols. 
ENGLAND.     THE    COMING    OF 

PARLIAMENT.  L.  Ceoijane 

GREECE    TO   A.    D.     14.      E.   S. 

Shuckburgh. 
I      MAX      EMPIRE.       H.     Stuart 


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